A former Greater Manchester police officer who was working on the day of the infamous “Battle of Orgreave” during the 1984 miners’ strike has spoken out about controversial policing tactics and has supported calls for a public inquiry.
Mike Freeman, now a Labour councillor for Sale Moor, was a young PC when officers from Manchester were bussed in to take part in an operation co-ordinated by South Yorkshire Police at the Orgreave coking plant on the outskirts of Sheffield on June 18 1984.
Police charged at pickets who had gathered at the plant. Dozens were injured and 95 miners were arrested with 55 charged with riot, carrying a sentence of life imprisonment. Nearly a year later their trials collapsed when it emerged that many of the police officers had their statements dictated to them.
And this week Cllr Freeman revealed in a Channel 4 News report the officers were briefed that South Yorkshire Police officers would write statements even if they had not arrested the pickets themselves. Cllr Freeman said it ran against all the fundamentals of policing.
Continue reading “Former Manchester policeman speaks out over policing of “Battle of Orgreave””
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