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Humberside Police Chief declines new role as Chief Scapegoat
26 Jun 2004
The Home Secretary is threatening to take legal action on Monday following the refusal of David Westwood to step down as Chief Constable of Humberside Police. David Blunkett had requested Humberside Policy Authority suspend Mr Westwood so that he could take up a new position as Chief Scapegoat with special responsibility for the Soham murders, but Mr Westwood has made it clear that he does not want to take up the position.
Using special powers he allocated himself under the Avoiding Responsibility Act of 2002, Mr Blunkett announced earlier this week that Mr Westwood would be assuming all responsibility for the failings that allowed Ian Huntley to get a job as a school caretaker.
"It was Mr Westwood who hired Huntley as a caretaker without checking his references; Mr Westwood who failed check Huntley's criminal record properly; Mr Westwood who did not issue proper guidance to police forces on the Data Protection Act; and Mr Westwood who failed to implement a national police intelligence computer system, all of which directly led to the two girls' tragic deaths," Mr Blunkett said.
"The Bichard report made that quite clear. It's about time Mr Westwood took responsibility for his failings and stepped down. I am therefore calling on Humberside Police Authority to suspend him immediately."
However, a spokesman for Humberside Police Authority asked Mr Blunkett to reconsider on the grounds that it wasn't actually Mr Westwood's fault and he had already gone some way to addressing the failings identified in the Report.
Legal expert Douglas Ramsbottom QC told DeadBrain that such a defence was "unprecedented" and, in fact, "totally irrelevant" since someone has to be a scapegoat and there is no danger of Mr Blunkett taking responsibility.
Speaking approximately two and a half minutes after the police authority spokesman had asked him to reconsider, Mr Blunkett said he had reconsidered fully and would see them in court.
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