Page 14 - Hunstanton Town & Around - January 2016

14 Hunstanton Town & Around January 2016 Tel: 01485 533422 email: editor@townandaround.net
could row her to an entrance at the changing rooms where they stole
Jim Welham, who has written historical articles for rear of the castle, but as she had credit cards from jacket pockets,
the magazine since 2008 passed away suddenly on no money and he would not take purchased a variety of items from
1st December. her. She tried to pass the sleeping the nearest town, and then
His family has requested that all his remaining guard, but he woke up and killed replaced the cards while their
completed articles are included in this and future her. The question was, who was owners were still on the golf
editions. the most guilty for her death and course.
who was the least guilty? I In those days scenes of crime
Policing Hunstanton (12) tentatively suggested that the officers (SOCOs) were
experienced detectives driving
King was the most responsible as
Jim Welham he had issued the order, but the unmarked vans. One burglary
where I requested their assistance
majority decided it was the person
My first day’s duty at Lynn CID leading those courses were who swung the sword. had occurred in what used to be a
commenced at 8am and I was usually female with a profound After 3 years in Lynn I returned village pub. A considerable
there considerably earlier. Two dislike of the police and a grim to Hunstanton where the standard amount of property had been
prisoners in the cells had been determination to convert them of criminality had not improved. stolen, but we could find no sign
arrested for syphoning a large into uniformed, tree-hugging, In the days before identity theft of entry. Eventually the SOCO
amount of petrol. During a short vegetarians. Women’s rights were was common, a fraudsman rented noticed the slightest trace of
interview they described the rural most important; a man must never a bungalow in the town and sawdust on a window sill. A
locations where they had stolen insult a female by opening a door opened several accounts in the closer examination established
the fuel. The far side of Lynn was for her or offer her a seat, nor name of the previous occupant. that a hole had been drilled in the
new territory for me, but during must she be called sweetheart, When he could obtain no more wooden window which allowed a
the morning I managed to trace all darling, love or any other term of credit he moved on, but his catch to be manipulated. Entry
the victims and returned to the affection. The most disrespectful weakness was that he used the was gained then the window
police station quietly pleased with remark ever would be to tell her previous the previous name and secured. The hole in the window
the progress so far. My sins were she looked nice because she might address as a reference to obtain was sealed with a wooden plug
soon pointed out – I should have resent the compliment. It must be his next accommodation. which was painted white to match
dealt with the overnight burglaries borne in mind that the females An elderly man rented good- the rest of the window. The
first. Infinitely worse though, I taking these courses were so class holiday properties in his own burglars’ exit was through the
had unknowingly strayed over the unattractive that they had name then loaded all the furniture front door which was fitted with a
border into Lincolnshire and none probably never been paid a of any value onto his van and Yale lock. I never caught them.
of the crimes detected counted for flattering remark; when they were disposed of it at the nearest No one would have believed
Norfolk. At that time a large born, they were so ugly that the auctioneers. then that the SOCO’s would be
‘Wally of the Week’ banner hung midwife smacked their mother. A bike thief was pathetically replaced by civilians. Even worse
in the office and my name was The classes usually agreed not grateful to be caught. He spent his they would be driving vehicles
displayed on it in the fastest to dispute anything that was said days driving round Norfolk marked Crime Scene
recorded time, and I retained the or ask any questions in order to towing a trailer which he loaded Investigation to imitate American
award for the next three weeks. keep the sessions as short as with any bicycles he could steal. TV.
At that time detectives were possible. This was a good plan He attempted several times to sell The following story is well
real men, sexist and homophobic which soon failed, for instance them at auction, but the known, but always worth
and fuelled by alcohol and when officers based in the auctioneers would only pay by retelling. The landlord and
nicotine. Everyone who was not Marshland were told that the cheque, and to avoid being traced, landlady of a village pub had gone
working during the evening was Travelling community was not he was alert enough to give a false abroad on holiday. One night at
expected to wait in the office until responsible for crime or leaving name and address. This meant closing time the last 2 customers
the pubs opened at 6pm, but I litter, but was a persecuted ethnic that he never received the rewards decided to ‘do the big one.’ They
often slunk out muttering excuses minority. for his efforts and eventually threatened the barman with a
about my very young family to a One example of an exercise to resorted to storing the bikes in his knife, cut the flex on the telephone
chorus of derision. The first faint make us more open-minded is as 3-bedroom council house in an to tie him up and gagged him.
sign of change of attitude follows: attempt to reduce his losses. By They went upstairs and found the
occurred when the Detective A King married a lovely the time I searched his house it landlady’s jewellery, after which
Chief Inspector tentatively princess much younger than was almost entirely full of everything went wrong. They
suggested to his shocked men that himself and shortly afterwards hundreds of bikes and all the took the barman’s gag off to ask
it was no longer acceptable to went on crusade leaving her in the cupboard space was taken up with him the number of a taxi, but
display girly calendars in the castle. He was insanely jealous front and rear cycle lamps. could not use the phone because
office. They must have borrowed and told her never to cross the Two Liverpudlians broke into they had cut the cord. One of
a calendar from every garage in drawbridge and ordered the guard the boots of bird watchers’ cars, them made his way to the nearest
West Norfolk because the next on the gate to kill her if she tried knowing that was where females kiosk and a taxi arrived in due
morning the walls could not be to do so. The years passed and would leave their handbags, and course. Eventually the barman
seen for breasts. one day she noticed the guard on then mailed the credit cards to was able to free himself and
Soon the Police were no the gate was asleep and crept past their home address from an contacted the police. Soon the taxi
longer to be known as a ‘Force’ him to meet her lover. She was in isolated post-box. Fortunately a driver was being spoken to and
which sounded too aggressive, but his arms when they heard the local on his way back from a pub said he had just left the robbers at
instead a ‘Service’ which sounded sounds of the King returning. was answering a call of nature in Peterborough Railway Station
more softly-softly. As a She asked her lover to hide her, the undergrowth and heard their where they boarded the Intercity
continuation of the politically but he was terrified and refused to discussion of the day’s events and to London. Another phone call
correct process, all ranks had to do so. She ran to her sister, who noted their vehicle number. ensured that when they arrived at
attend various courses about also declined to help, and she was A large number of criminals King’s Cross they were pounced
topics such as diversity and equal unable to find her best friend. Her were too good for me, such as on by four members of the British
opportunities. The instructors last chance was a boat man who those who travelled round the Transport Police.
coast and entered golf course