Ring Of Steal

‘TRY to get a single policeman to come and visit your home after you’ve been burgled is like trying to find someone who will admit to liking Chris De Burgh – very difficult, if not impossible.

‘Damn! Forgot my keys again’

But President Bush will have 14,000 officers at his beck and call when he arrives in London this evening and he hasn’t even been the victim of a crime – yet.

In fact, the Independent outbids the other papers and suggests that the total police presence will be 16,000 – one in nine of all the police officers in England and Wales.

However, it is good to know that not that even this unprecedented level of police protection could stop a 61-year-old grandmother piercing the ring of steel and climbing the gates to Buckingham Palace yesterday.

Lindis Percy spent almost three hours on top of the gates with a flag telling the US President that he is not welcome in this country.

In doing so, she gets her picture on the front page of all four broadsheets – although she will be distressed to learn from one of them that hers is not a majority view.

A Guardian poll finds that 43% of voters are in favour of Bush becoming the first US President ever to be honoured with a state visit to the UK, with 36% against.

Bizarrely, it is mainly Labour voters who are in favour of the visit from the most conservative occupant of the White House in living memory.

And, says the paper, ‘it explodes the conventional wisdom that Mr Bush’s visit will prove damaging to Tony Blair’.

However, there is one other important group who are very much in favour of the three-day visit – criminals.

With more than 10% of the country’s entire police strength engaged in protecting just one man and thousands of people on the streets in protest, Thursday should be Christmas day in the burglars’ calendar.’

Posted: 18th, November 2003 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink