Bridget Prentice Finds Her Police In Queues

JUSTICE Minister Bridget Prentice is stood in the queue for a bus.

Her bag is agape.

Kenneth Cooper approaches. He is a pickpocket. He sees the bag.

Says Prentice: “I was just turning round to ask him to stand back when he got off the bus. I knew straight away that something was wrong and looked into my bag to discover my purse had gone.”

“He’s nicked my purse,” exclaims Ms Prentice.

As we have heard from Ms Prentice’s colleague Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary and customer of “KATIES kebabs and burgers” in Lewisham, the streets of South London are dangerous places full of dragons and many-headed beasts in checked caps and brandless white trainers.

MS Prentice is in danger. Luckily, reports the Times, an “off-duty” detective sergeant is stood in the queue behind Ms Prentice. He gives chase.

Mr Cooper runs. He runs across the road. He runs on to a pavement “where a team of police officers had just arrived to offer crime prevention advice to the shoppers”.

They chase the felon. Cooper runs into a shopping arcade. Security guards join the pursuit. The guardians of the Riverdale shopping centre always get their man.

Mr Cooper is nabbed. He is now serving a 16-week sentence in Belmarsh jail for stealing a purse.

Says Ms Prentice: “I am still confident that Lewisham town centre is a safe place.”

Indeed, what with so many police officers, security personnel and ministers for justice around, it is very possibly the safest place in the world…

Anorak

Posted: 19th, March 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Labour Party, Politicians Comments (2) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink