Kent Police - It is not good enough

In August of 2009, Mr Peter Cox aged 34 was assaulted by a gang in New Romney,Kent. As Mr Cox was being treated by paramedics, two police officers pulled up at the scene but quickly drove off after stating that : 'It isn't our shout.' It was five hours before Police attended the scene.Five men were later arrested but were released due to lack of evidence.

Despite an investigation which, has taken 18 months,Kent police say they have not been able to identify the officers who drove off. According to Mr Fox, Kent police have admitted that there were only 3 patrol cars in the area that night.

At one point the police even claimed that the officers concerned were from a different force. This whole affair stinks. I accept that there is a possibility that the officers concerned may have being crewing a passing traffic department vehicle but it is more likely that they were the crew of one of the three patrol cars in the area that night.

I wonder if this had been a murder enquiry or a terrorist incident if the police would have failed to identify the culprits from a total of between 4 and 6 suspects. This investigation needs to be re-opened if necessary by an outside force or the IPCC. These officers need to be  found and charged with neglect of duty, bringing the force into disrepute and any other criminal or disciplinary offences disclosed.

As a result of this assault, Mr Cox lost the sight in one eye. It is by no means certain that if the two police officers had carried out their duties that anyone would have been charged and convicted but the scene would have been preserved and a positive outcome in terms of  justice would have been more likely to have been achieved.


Thanks to BBC South East, Mail on Sunday and www.ghananation.com for the reports