Criminal Investigation
| Author | J. R. Kingaby |
| Published date | 01 October 1967 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X6704001010 |
| Date | 01 October 1967 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
CrilDinal
Investigation
SERGEANT
J.
R.
KINGABY
West Sussex Constabulary
S£RAP
METAL·
Road Check
P.e.
Whitehouse looked at the van with interest.
It
was an
old box van that had seen better days, and as it rattled its way
along the road from Horsham to Dorking he knew in his own
mind that aroutine check would be well worth the effort. He
started off on his high powered motor cycle and overtook the
van on its offside, noticing the two gypsy-looking men in the
driver's cab. They obeyed his signal to stop and be began the
motions of a normal road check; a thing he
had
done so many
times before, with varying results.
The driver's documents were examined, and he was surprised
to find them in order; but when he looked into the van through
the back window he experienced that sudden quickening of the
nerves that all good police officers will readily appreciate. The
vehicle was loaded almost to bursting point with scrap metal.
In the main, it comprised about 14 lengths of almost new copper
pipe, each about 7in. long
and
3in. in diameter, innumerable
shorter lengths of smaller diameter pipe together with short lengths
of lead pipe, taps, shower and bath fittings. In addition, there
were many tools which would rightly be used in the plumbing
trade, but there were others - notably a case opener - which
made
P.e.
Whitehouse wonder just what sort of plumbers these
men really were. He was a layman in these matters, but even
so, he readily appreciated that the value of this metal was some-
where in excess of £100.
"Where
did you get it from?" His earlier suspicions were
stimulated by the reply:
"We
bought
it
from a bloke who pulled
up at the side of us and asked if we wanted to buy
it."
"Who's
this bloke
then?"
asked the officer.
"Dh,
just some ordinary
chap with a lorry at the other side of East Grinstead. We gave
him £30 for it. £15 each."
Further Inquiries
Needless to say, the same qualities of policemanship which
had
prompted him to stop the van in the first place, made him realize
that this situation clearly required careful scrutiny. He arrested
both men and took them, and the loaded van, to Dorking police
station.
October 1967 467
To continue reading
Request your trial