Unlucky Goldsmith

Unlucky Goldsmith.
Tarlok Mittu, was a Asian goldsmith, who had premises in Staveley Road, Wolverhampton, some 150 yards from the then Divisonal Police Station, Dun stall Road. I went there in 1969 staying until late 1972. Mr. Mittu, helped with translations, never charging. He struck me as quiet man, although a clever goldsmith. In 197o, on a Saturday afternoon, I had just completed duty at a Wolverhampton Wanderers Football match.and I was in my first floor office, removing my outer clothing, before travelling home. I heard loud voices, and went to the top of the stairs, to hear an officer, tell someone, they could not see me, until Monday morning. I shouted down, to send up the person, who was endeavoring to see me. Up come Tarlok Mittu, he looked tired, and worried. He sat down and told me an amazing story/ He had travelled to London on the Friday evening previously, to met an Asian, who was obtaining him some £5000 worth of bar gold, for his business. Gold was then controlled, although the government, has announced that restrictions were to be withdrawn. This Asian had told Mittu, that the deal was with an Hatton Garden reputable dealer, was above board, but the amount was slightly over the permitted maximum. Mitta had £5000 in c ash, £500 in a Bankers Draft for the middle man. He went with the Asian to Hatton Garden, paid his £5000. gave the agent, the draft. and was on his way out of the building, with hius gold, when they were surrounded by nine police officers. Mittu was told that he was under arrest, for illegal dealing and was taken to Hammersmith Police Station, he did not go into the charge room, but into a CID Office. The gold was on the table. so was the money, but not the bankers draft. No officers, gave there names. Mittu was not charged with anything. He was then pushed through a rear door, no gold, no money, no charge. He went back into the front of the station. He explained what had happened. He was told to leave, as no one would speak to him about his so called arrest. He went to New Scotland Yard, and was told at the enquiry office, that there was no trace of him being in a police station, and was threatened with arrest/ Mittu decided to return to Wolverhampton. For some reason, he wanted my advice.Mittu described in detail, the room he had been kept in, and the men who had arrested him. He gave me a name and exact desciption of the agent, who had made the arrangements. I telephoned Hammersmith Police Station, I asked to speak to as senior officer. I was asked by the Station Sergeant. What is this about. I replied, I want to make a complaint" He said, I will take it" I made it clear that I wish to speak to a Superintendent at least. Whilst, I was on the telephone, I heard voices, one clearly, said, "It only about the Paki" ".f... him" After three more calls, I could see, that I was not going to get anywhere. All at this Police Station, knew what was going on. It took me a hour, to finally converse, with A DAC, a high ranking officer, he tried to put me off, but I told him, that if the room was not forensically searched for gold presence, and station staff interviewed I would inform the press. I was fed up at being fobbed off.Two hours later, the DAC telephoned me. He has found gold particles in he CID Room. He had suspended one Inceptor, 2 sergeants and six constables.He also asked me to be available at 2pm on Monday with Mr. Mittu. He would personally interview us. He did not do so a Chief Supt from a special squad with an Inspector took statements/ We were told the gold had been recovered, so had the money, and the Asian agent arrested, he was in custody I HAD CLEARLY FOUND AN HONEST MAN/Some months later, Mittu and I were warned for magistrates court, strangely, the committal took place, and the men concerned appeared at the Old Bailey. Neither of us were called. Some of the men pleaded, others did not. They all were sentenced to long periods of imprisonment. Clearly Mr. Mittu was pleased We remained friends until his untimely death. His young wife, died a little time before that. They both desire children. They never achieved it.Mitta left a brother, also a goldsmith and other relatives. The Mittus have a high respect in our community. Fair, honest and skilled artisans/The case, caused hardly a comment from the local CID, several times later, I had minor problems with them. They most ended up in the famous Serious Crime Squad, or other rag bag units. I had committed the cardinal sin. I had listened to an Asian. Not the done thing in 1972 I was frequently reminded by senior detectives, that this case had not "Done me any good" I always felt vindicated.

Johnp1928: Police Police Station Riot

Johnp1928: Police Police Station Riot Biklston. Mellor. Riot.

Police Police Station Riot

TUMULTUOUS RIOTING 75 YEARS AGO
John P. Mellor

John Mellor served for many years in the police force in Bilston. Here he tells us about a riot that happened many years before he was there but which he researched for an article in the Police Gazette.
The cry of "Burn baby, burn" which have echoed through the ghettoes of Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit may seem to be very remote from Bilston. The expression, however, could have well been used on Monday, 21 July 1919, by the crowd some 60 years ago, when a series of ugly incidents took place, culminating in the partial destruction of the local police station.
The trouble began during the early evening when two or three men, being the worse for drink, were said to have assaulted two police constables in Church Street. Near the Market Hall were soldiers who were home on leave and who joined in the melee with other people. The policemen were forced to walk away towards the town hall, followed by a crowd of people which became larger and larger and more violent. Near the town hall there was further trouble and the two constables had to draw their batons and break out of the crowd to reach the police station to get help and report the incident.
The ever-increasing mob followed them and at 11 p.m. the crowd was estimated to be several thousand strong. The mob ring-leaders began to demand that one of the constables, who for some reason was regarded with aversion by the crowd, should be turned out of the police station. Their demand not being granted, the crowd surrounded the station and tried to break the front door in, shouting: "Turn out ---- , we will have his blood."
During the next hour every window in the police station was shattered. A long perimeter wall was torn down and bricks were thrown at the front and side, while poles were fetched from a nearby yard to be used as battering rams to break down the doors. Then petrol was poured on the wooden door cases in an attempt to set the building on fire.
At this stage Supt. Rowbottam, the officer in charge, went out and tried to reason with the mob but without success. A brick was thrown and struck him, breaking his arm. P.C. Jarvis, who was with him, was struck under the eye.
Despite the efforts of the Police, who were forced to withdraw, the office and charge room were wrecked, the telephone line and the instrument destroyed, and the Superintendent's house next door ransacked before reinforcements from West Bromwich, Wednesbury and surrounding districts were brought in to disperse the crowd. It was 2 a.m. before they eventually left.
The Police Station after the riot
Three people were arrested as a result of the attack: two men and one woman, who appeared before the magistrates charged with "tumultuous rioting" and "causing malicious damage to the police station." The two male defendants were also charged with assault on the police. While the court was being held a large crowd surrounded the court house behind the police station.
The presiding magistrate found all three defendants guilty and penalties of 40s. and costs, with the alternative of 30 days' imprisonment, were imposed upon all three defendants, who were bound over to keep the peace. After the proceedings, the large crowd around the Police station was dispersed by the Police.
Next day a large crowd gathered in the town centre and by 11 p.m. some 3,000 people surrounded the town hall. The leaders were proposing to storm the police station when a discharged soldier named Wainwright addressed the crowd and appealed to them to go home.
He told the crowd that the police superintendent who had been injured had lost his only son in the war. Within minutes the crowd had dispersed and by midnight the first and only serious riot to take place in Bilston was over.
John P Mellor

Two unfortunate decisions.

The local authority in Wolverhampton, has difficulties. It was left a poisoned chalice, by the former Labour controlled council. I have great sympathy for he horrible mess that they have to extract themselves from .
However, why close the Residential home at Underhill, why close the Information Centre in Queen Square. Surely you could cut out the fat, from the myriad organisations, in Wolverhampton, that serve no purpose, but act as a sounding board for your political opposition

Clever Thieves.

Clever thieves« Thread Started on Aug 24, 2009, 1:54pm »

Dear AllI have been passed this story today. A woman visited the toilet in John Lewis at Blue water and hung her handbag on the back of the toilet door. As she carried on about her business, a hand suddenly appeared over the top of the stall and grabbed her bag clean off the hook!!!She immediately reported the incident to the head of security, who in turn informed the manager of the store. A couple of days later she had a call from the head of security to say her bag had been found without her purse. So she arranged a convenient time to go and meet the manager to collect her things.On arriving at the John Lewis store at the agreed time, the manager was not expecting her & neither was the head of security. No one from the store had actually called her as the bag had still not been found.When the lady got home, her house had been burgled with no sign of forced entry. The Police believe the robbers had used her Driving License for the address and her keys to let themselves in!This is real - it isn't just a scaremongering story. Many will be so shocked at how complex bag snatching crime has become.Please be extra vigilant ladies AND gents (with your man bags) there are a lot of desperate criminals out there!Violent and Organized Crime UnitPlumstead Police Station200 Plumstead High StreetSE18 1JYTelephone: 020 7161 8746 (Internal 788746)E-mail: Nicholas.Gilbey@met.pnnpolice.uk Message entered b John PMellor.OBE., QSM.,Ridder van den orde orange nassau

Letter to Editor of Express and Star« Thread Started on Sept 24, 2009, 3:46pm »

I read with interest the letter of John Higgins, about the new report of the British Heart Foundation. Firstly, the figure should be 38% not 34% not having cardiac rehabilitation. It is important that this was a national figure, not mentioning any specific area. Here in the area served by New Cross Heart and Lung Unit,, I have no knowledge that cardiac rehabilitation has been refused to anyone. Secondly, the rehabilitation has to be recommended by the specialist and accepted by the patient. It is not obligatory. The number of persons refusing the treatment is considerable.During the four years I was Chairman of the now defunct Patients Forum, no complaints over this issue were ever received The newly formed LINK organisation has received no complaints either.I defend no organisation or person, but as a individual, who has had three heart attacks, and two courses of cardiac rehabilitation, I wish to make it clear that our local Wolverhampton Hospital has refused no one cardiac rehabilitation, if it is recommended and accepted John Mellor. WV37BG 01290338904In the express and star on Wednesday 23rd Sept/2009, Mr John Higgins of Willenhall referred to a recent report of the British Heart Foundation, in which he stated that 34% of heart patients do not get cardiac rehabilitation. The figure quoted was s38%. No area specified. Wolverhampton for once was not guilty. I felt my letter was appropriate. John P Mellor., OBE., QSM.,President NPC Wolverhampton

The BRITISH SOLDIER« Thread Started on Nov 2, 2009, 5:28pm »

They are doing their bit.....please do yours by reading this and forwarding it to someone else: The average British soldier is 19 years old.....he is a short haired, well built lad who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears and just old enough to buy a round of drinks but old enough to die for his country - and for you. He's not particularly keen on hard work but he'd rather be grafting in Afghanistan than unemployed in the UK . He recently left comprehensive school where he was probably an average student, played some form of sport, drove a ten year old rust bucket, and knew a girl that either broke up with him when he left, or swore to be waiting when he returns home. He moves easily to rock and roll or hip-hop or to the rattle of a 7.62mm machine gun. He is about a stone lighter than when he left home because he is working or fighting from dawn to dusk and well beyond. He has trouble spelling, so letter writing is a pain for him, but he can strip a rifle in 25 seconds and reassemble it in the dark. He can recite every detail of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either effectively if he has to. He digs trenches and latrines without the aid of machines and can apply first aid like a professional paramedic. He can march until he is told to stop, or stay dead still until he is told to move. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation but he is not without a rebellious spirit or a sense of personal dignity. He is confidently self-sufficient. He has two sets of uniform with him: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his water bottle full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never forgets to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes and fix his own hurts. If you are thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food is your food. He'll even share his life-saving ammunition with you in the heat of a firefight if you run low. He has learned to use his hands like weapons and regards his weapon as an extension of his own hands. He can save your life or he can take it, because that is his job - it's what a soldier does. He often works twice as long and hard as a civilian, draw half the pay and have nowhere to spend it, and can still find black ironic humour in it all. There's an old saying in the British Army: 'If you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined!' He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and he is unashamed to show it or admit it. He feels every bugle note of the 'Last Post' or 'Sunset' vibrate through his body while standing rigidly to attention. He's not afraid to 'Bollock' anyone who shows disrespect when the Regimental Colours are on display or the National Anthem is played; yet in an odd twist, he would defend anyone's right to be an individual. Just as with generations of young people before him, he is paying the price for our freedom. Clean shaven and baby faced he may be, but be prepared to defend yourself if you treat him like a kid. He is the latest in a long thin line of British Fighting Men that have kept this country free for hundreds of years. He asks for nothing from us except our respect, friendship and understanding. We may not like what he does, but sometimes he doesn't like it either - he just has it to do.. Remember him always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood. And now we even have brave young women putting themselves in harm's way, doing their part in this tradition of going to war when our nation's politicians call on us to do so. When you receive this, please stop for a moment and if you are so inclined, feel free to say a prayer for our troops in the trouble spots of the world. John P Mellor OBE., QSM.,