Thin Blue Linesman

‘HAVING safely disposed of Michael Barrymore, we move onto the case of Sgt Nigel Miller. The 42-year-old told bosses last month that he was too ill to deal with the strain of police work – and so joined the ranks of thousands of coppers who are paid to sit at home and watch The Bill on UK Gold.

”Gave that dark fella Thierry Henry a ticket for speeding once…”

So you would imagine his bosses must have got a bit of a surprise when they tuned in to watch the grudge match between Leeds and Manchester United at the weekend and saw their erstwhile colleague running the line.

Not a bit of it. They had, says the Star, not only given him permission to attend the match, but had suggested that officiating at the hate-filled encounter might be ”therapeutic”.

Wear Valley councillor Derek Jago (who is also chaplain of Bishop Auckland FC) said the case sent out a bad message. ”Anyone with common sense would say that if you were ill, you would not put yourself in that situation,” he said.

Or was Sgt Miller merely anticipating new Home Office guidelines. Published yesterday, they call for coppers to take their meal breaks in fast food restaurants and cafes to help boost police visibility.

And what could more visible than a televised Premiership football match?

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Posted: 18th, September 2002 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink