Saturday 7 February 2009

The man of violence indulged by the BBC, the police and the security services

I have never understood why ‘Captain Gatso’ has never been arrested. He orchestrates and celebrates the destruction of speed cameras. He boasts he has personally taken part in such attacks. I would have thought that he could be charged with at least one count of conspiracy (and probably a whole lot more).

The indulgent treatment of Captain Gatso is in stark contrast to the massive resources put into prosecuting animal rights activists who use violence to promote their cause. The full resources of the state are deployed against them and, when successfully prosecuted, they get very lengthy prison sentences.

When there was a one-man letter bomb campaign against government offices a few years back ‘Captain Gatso’ entered the frame as a possible suspect. One of the targets was an office involved in prosecuting drivers. It emerged that ‘Captain Gatso’ had no involvement. What intrigued me, however, was that it also emerged that the security services knew exactly who he was. Apparently he lives in Loughton.

Astonishingly, as happens here the BBC even supplies a link to the Captain Gatso website, which features destroyed speed cameras and contains such boasts as “blowing them up is the new way of putting them out of action”.

Why is someone who actively promotes and encourages the blowing up of speed cameras free to inspire these acts of violence?

Please ask your MP to take this matter up with the Home Office.

And why not email Helen Boaden, head of BBC News, asking her if she thinks it appropriate for BBC News to link to a website promoting and celebrating arson and bombing, and if so, why?

helenboaden.complaints@bbc.co.uk