Police play poker rather than fight crime. Graham Hall given a fridge magnet whilst officers deal a new hand...

Another fine example of modern day policing here in the Soviet Rep. of Britain.

A pensioner trying to report a burglary was turned away from a police headquarters - even though officers were inside playing poker.

Retired financial adviser Graham Hall, 69, walked to the head office of Thames Valley Police after discovering thieves had broken into a rental property he owns nearby.

But after first asking Mr Hall if he was there for a card game involving 14 officers that was about to start in the social club, a security guard on the front desk told him no one could help.

Well come on the Sgt. probably had a good hand, which is better than giving a helping hand to the public.

Instead he was informed that the station was not open to the public and was handed a fridge magnet with the force's non-emergency telephone number, which he was told to ring.

New Labour policing - Tough on fridge magnets, tough on the causes of fridge magnets.

Mr Hall spoke to an operator who promised that a police officer would get in touch - but he was still to hear back from them, nearly a week later.

The father of four said: 'When I got there a security guard popped up from behind the desk and said, "Good evening, are you here for the poker?".

'I said, "I've got it wrong. I thought this was a police station, not a casino".

'I told him I had come to report a crime, but he said I couldn't do that here. I said, "I'm sorry I wasted your time" and left.

'I was flabbergasted - you can't even report a crime at the police headquarters.

'The fact is that a crime had been committed on their doorstep but not one person could be bothered to come out and talk to me because they were gambling. At first I thought it was a joke but it really is no laughing matter. I've got no confidence in the force whatsoever.'

An so he now joins the rest of society who have seen policing turned into a stats counting, politically correct organisation, obcessed with targets and stats over actually resolving crime.

Mr Hall, of Oxford, discovered the break-in when he visited a rental property he owns in nearby Kidlington at 6.45pm last Wednesday.

The thieves had smashed into a games room annexe and made off with hundreds of pounds' worth of snooker equipment.
The semi-detached house was empty at the time after his daughter Joanna, 38, who had been letting it, moved out a few weeks earlier.

Mr Hall first went to Kidlington police station but a sign on the door said it closed at 5pm every day, so he went 150 yards down the road to Thames Valley Police HQ.

The pensioner - who will have to fork out £150 to replace both doors and a padlock - is furious.

He said: 'Not only do I have to pay for new snooker balls and cues as well as the two doors but no one from the police has even bothered to contact me.

'I was going to leave the doors for the police to examine but it doesn't look like they're bothered.

Now he could get a policeman out, all he needs do is withhold the costs of goods replaced from his community charge. Before he knows it an officer will be out, granted to arrest him but he will get an officer to turn up.

A spokeswoman for Thames Valley police has confirmed that a poker game had taken place with a maximum stake of £2.50 a game. But she said that players at the regular event were off-duty.

As for reporting a crime, she said the headquarters was not an 'operational police station' and that this was stated on a sign below the entry buzzer, along with directions to the nearest stations and opening times.

The spokesman added that officers had not been dispatched to the scene as a matter of urgency because the incident is classed as a 'non-dwelling burglary'.

However, an officer will now be in touch with Mr Hall as soon as possible, she added.

Oh well they were all "off duty" were they? Thats fine then. Lets not worry about actually resolving crime as we are all off duty.

It used to be said that if you needed directions or information you could ask a policeofficer, I guess we can add advise on poker hands to the list things we can ask officers about. 

British policing at its "best".

The full set of ladybird police can be found here.

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