§ Mr. Boothasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now received a report concerning the circumstances surrounding the arrest of trade unionists and students travelling by coach in Colchester on 3rd October 1973, their subsequent interrogation and the searching of their homes before they were released; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CarlisleI have received a report from the Chief Constable of the Essex and Southend-on-Sea Constabulary, who tells me that the police stopped the coach because they had received information which gave them reason to believe that a member of the coach party might be able to help them with their inquiries into a fire at166W Woolworth's in Colchester. The reason for the police action was explained to the passengers. The Chief Constable has said that he regrets the inconvenience caused to those concerned, but it is clearly necessary for the police to do all they can to identify those responsible for such outrages.
The Chairman of the Essex and Southend-on-Sea Joint Police Authority said, in a statement about the incident, that the Chief Constable had assured him that the action taken by the police was solely in pursuit of the investigation into the fire and that it was totally wrong to suggest that there was any other motivation.