Going on a raid with 600 riot cops was never going to be a straightforward matter.

At one point our crew car managed to get in front of a dozen police vans flashing and screeching through central London.

They had to give us a police driver to make sure we didn't get to the raid too soon and alert the villains.

The soundman was very disappointed he didn't get his own blue light, Kojak-style.

We all felt a bit guilty when a funeral cortege had to pull over to let us pass as we charged through Camden.

We ended up in an Islington street, where they sealed off 150 yards of shop fronts and arrested several dozen suspects for fencing...what's known these days as handling stolen goods.

I went looking for punters to tell me what they thought of it all, but every scruffy Herbert I approached turned out to be an undercover cop or immigration official.

When I did find someone who wasn't Old Bill, he revealed he was working for the BBC.

We left before it was over, but they were still marching handcuffed suspects out of the internet cafes.

I can just see tomorrow's  newspaper headlines - "Operation Overkill".

Comments

[Debbie, Germany 2 Apr 2008 15:57:42]

Hi Martin,

Gosh - having read these comments I'm quite glad I don't live in Britain any more.

I mean all countries have their problems - Germany too, but this all sounds really awful.

Elizabeth , Capetoen, Hi,

I agree with all you say, except ditching the Maddie site, which I think will go on to the bitter end (and it will be bitter).
Gone too far to stop it at this point I feel - and also Martin's Docu. is an integral part of it. He doesn't make many of those, as far as I know.

Cheers, Debbie

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 2 Apr 2008 10:59:20]

Martin
Please update your blogs with the current crime which has taken place.
There is no mention of the following:
The murder of Scarlett in India, the bodyparts found on a beach, the arrest of the stepfather of Shannon.
It is also about time to ditch the Madeleine blogs to the achives, as the only purpose they serve in my opinion is as a social networking site.
Come on Martin the real issues please?

[Khalid 1 Apr 2008 14:48:12]

Sir
Indeed the prioritisation surrounding [Sister Sledge]and local activity does provide for much to answer, whilst natural instincts would want the mind to be [Lost In Music]. None the less, the job of the force is to maintain a force of law whilst at the same time eradicating such sharp objects from our streets.

[andrew other 30 Mar 2008 20:45:41]

Teenagers get knifed and shot to death in London, without any police intervention. But for a few 'fences' they send out a full battalion of the Keystone Cops. Bring back DS George Carter and DI Jack Regan, please.

[steve from hyde man 30 Mar 2008 11:01:20]

people can hack into systems because i can do it. i can run through the same connection as sombody else, infact im doing it right now and that could mean prison. im using the same p.c connection as somebody else and its easy all youve got to do is no what you are doing

[mike lawless lincoln u.s.a 29 Mar 2008 22:41:43]

i dont know what people want,if the police dont do anything people complain,when they takeproactive measures they are still critisised crazy

[Mark harrington 29 Mar 2008 13:09:00]

If the Uk actually managed to get MP's to stop claiming 1.7 million in expenses which the the Tax payer pays for and invested more money into jobs

You probably wouldn't have these situations to the degree that you now have

Minimum wages at £6.00 per hour where employees refuse to pay more where they could quite easily

Are the real bottom line reasons for degradation of society

Huge bonuses another reason Greed Greed and More Greed

Finally there's the very police that are out on these raids themselves

They also buy stolen goods and get involved in underhanded deals as well

A Total set of double standards One rule for this one another for that person

Your whole country makes us laugh and don't tell me that their isn't one of you that haven't had some underhanded deal in your life time

If there is one of you that can say that.

Give yourself a pat on the back and award yourselves a prize for being the biggest liar on earth

[Alan Leicester 29 Mar 2008 12:29:27]

A smoke cloud hangs over the regenerated Estate of Braunstone Leicester. Burning cars and motorcycles litter the streets.
A £50 million labour failure called Raw Deal for Communities. Labour try to hide the fact that most of the regeneration funds were hived off to labours friends. Leicester Housing Association and the City Council made a killing out of this. Then we had the other Vultures waiting to strip the bones bare leaving little or nothing behind.
Labour cries no crime on Braunstone! Of course they do not live here or see the burning cars. Poverty breeds crime. Employment cures poverty. Kids here see little hope or future. 6o imported staff to deal with poverty, what did they know about crime and poverty on 40 to 60K a year?
Government officers on 80 90K what did they know about crime that is if they ever cared. Crime creates profit for some!
£50 million wasted on the now forgotten estate. Cheers!
If you do not believe this then look on you tube and Gordon Browns Hero.

[Sandra 28 Mar 2008 11:33:26]

Put the young people in the National Services on the front line.
Then instead of harming good people and animals they can fight for our country then see how tough they are then as they say they have nothing to do and just being bored.I wonder how bored and nothing to do then!

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 28 Mar 2008 06:55:44]

Is this kind of policing really going to prevent the real serious crime which is taking place in Britain today?
I don't think so...this was "overcooked".