Local News

Who can you trust?

Devon and Cornwall Police are coming under the spotlight after complaints about the force have risen this year, with one detective being suspended on sex offences and drug dealing charges.

In statistics published by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the number of recorded cases last year stood at 990 with 833 in 2005/06 - an increase of 19 per cent.

Of the complaints formally investigated nearly nine out of 10 (89 per cent) were found to be unsubstantiated and one in ten (11 per cent) were upheld, although what percentage of complaints were investigated has not been released. Presumably just the ones they knew they could disappear...

We're guessing that the one of the 1 in 10, was relating to a Detective who is alleged to have committed serious sexual assault and has been dealing drugs. It's unclear whether he was selling the drugs at a discount as they were most likely procured from the cache of drugs confiscated during his day job.

With all this going on, the D&C plod have been warning traders to check out their Santa's background before letting them loose on the supple little bodies of the bright eyed kids hoping for something nice on Christmas morning, rather than something warm and sticky in Santa's lap.

This does beg the question of who do you ask about your new festive fat-man? Do you ask the cops about them, as you're getting your weekly fix, although it's probably safer not to as there is currently no legal requirement for prospective employers of Father Christmases to demand any background information.