Tesco is ‘too dangerous’ for chief constable to buy his own sandwich

Published 15th Jan 2010

Like countless office workers, he enjoyed popping out to buy a sandwich at lunchtime. But a newly appointed chief constable has astonished colleagues by appearing to suggest that the supermarket is now too dangerous for him.

Peter Vaughan has been Chief Constable of South Wales for two weeks and is not — at least yet — a household name, even in his own patch.

It is unclear how many people would recognise him if they bumped into him in the aisles. And, if they did, is it likely they would attack him, possibly pelting him with breakfast rolls, as happened to Camilla Parker Bowles in Sainsbury’s before her marriage to the Prince of Wales?

These may be odd questions. But they are being asked because Mr Vaughan was quoted in Jane’s Police Review lamenting that “security considerations” meant someone would have to do his shopping for him in future.

Mr Vaughan, 46, took up his job on January 1, succeeding Barbara Wilding, Britain’s longest-serving woman police officer. In an odd coincidence, she also commented on the state of South Wales’s supermarkets in her last interview.

In his interview with the respected police journal, Mr Vaughan pointed out that his promotion from deputy to chief meant “additional pressures”.

“I used to be able to walk around my local supermarket but now someone else will do my shopping for security reasons.” He missed doing his own shopping, he said. “It sounds strange, but I liked going for a walk and taking a breather.”

The interview caused an astonishment at South Wales Police headquarters in Bridgend. Among the first to read it was Alan Fry, the chief executive of the police authority, who had been instrumental in Mr Vaughan’s appointment.

He said: “I was surprised and I was shocked. I could not believe those were Peter Vaughan’s words. The first thing I did was to contact him and he was extremely concerned and annoyed about it, because he had not said them.”

Mr Fry contacted all the members of the authority to reassure them that their new chief constable would not be sending a minion out to do his shopping for fear of encountering a hostile response.

He said: “He was misquoted and the word security was never used. The headquarters in Bridgend is directly opposite a large Tesco and he was used to popping out to buy a sandwich and he was saying he may not be able to do that now because he does not have time.” Mr Vaughan moved into the £144,500-a-year top job after serving in every rank in South Wales Police, starting as a PC in 1984. He spent two years as an assistant chief constable with Wiltshire Police before returning to his home force.

If he does venture to the supermarket the chances of his being mugged have diminished dramatically in the past year, with the number of recorded crimes dropping 12 per cent from 9,398 in November 2008 to 8,221 in November 2009.

Speaking after his promotion, Mr Vaughan, who is in charge of 5,300 officers and a £248 million budget, said he was thrilled. He said: “I am honoured and proud to be the new chief constable for South Wales, my roots and family are in this area.”

A spokesman for South Wales Police said that Mr Vaughan had written to Jane’s Police Review asking it to publish a correction.

Chris Herbert, the editor of the magazine, stood by his story. He said: “We don’t make quotes up. If it is in the story he said it, and there will be a shorthand note.

“It sounds as though he didn’t like it when he saw it in print and is back-pedalling. We haven’t yet heard from South Wales Police.”

Source: ' Times '

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