Duncan Campbell on the Thames Valley network-that gives the checks done 'late at night; access to police computer secrets. ' 'Why, the police computer,': he r~flied. He was also asked:. , 'How much are you paying Ray Officer suspended for all this help, is he doing it just on the side? . . James: He's done a hell of a lot after NS'expose of work for me on this, he really' A THAMES VALLEY police Inspector, as well as four' lower- has ... and Dave Wastell, and officer who is alleged to have ranking police officers. Another all these blokes, the CID have passed confidential police compu- .private detective in the Thames been helping me, a Detective ter data to a private detective was Valfey area has also been obtaining Chief Inspector's been helping me, he, says; if you've got any suspended last Thursday following confidential police. information more problems ... come-to me a report in the New Statesman. The from at least one of these officers. ~ and I'll get it sorted out there. private detective identified in last Full details of these fresh allega- week's article, Mr Malcolm James tions have been given to Thames -, of James Investigation and Secur- Valley Police. ON ANOmER' Od'::ASION, ity .services in Windsor, was held The conversations also reveal James explained that his normal for questioning even before the that another policeman, PC Ray first move in checking on an indi- New Stafen;tanwas published, and a , Wattersof Windsor; had been vidual like Mr Smith would be to go report is now being prepared for closely assisting Malcolm James up to the Thames Valley Criminal the Director of Public Prosecu- to the moment he was' exposed. Records Office (CRO). This is the tions. _ '-I _ ' James had begun a private inves- only place 'where information can We have since obtained· further tigation of a Mr Terence Smith, be . obtained from the Police information which suggests that who lives at Bledlow Ridge near National Computer, an'd' the James - himself an ex-Thames High Wycombe. James had Thames Valley Police computer Valley policeman - obtained con-I already obtained details of Mr simultaneously, There are only six fidential police information from a network of at least seven police officers, and even used their off- duty services as part of his private police force. We have learned that on more than one occasion James, in the company of serving police officers, repossessed cars on which hire purchase or rental payments were owed to his private client. It is not yet known whether the police officers used their police crederi- tials on these occasions. We have also established that Jarnes had access to the Thames Valley Police Intelligence compu- ter. The day before he was exposed by this writer and Mr JulianJacot- tet, a member of the Thames Valley Police, Authority, he had sought extensive personal informa- tion on ad individual living near High Wycombe.. Thames Valley police claimed last week that although their investigations were 'Smith's recent conviction" for a terminals to the PNC at the CRO 'incomplete', Jarnes 'has no access' large theft. office in Kidlington, near Oxford, to the Thames Valley Police Come Two weeks ago, he visited compared.with 34 Thames Valley puter. We have established that, in Smith's neighbour Mrs Joan Poliee computer' tsrminals there fact, some time before his exposure Kelsey and asked her to write down and throughout the force's area.' James had obtained criminal re- the numbers of cars going to James has explained his' actions .cord, information from precisely Smith's cottage, for further thus:" . , " . , this source. 'checks', (Mrs Kelsey did not Following a' meeting last What we do on a CRO is get one oblige). Then, just the day before done on Thames Valley;' and Wednesday with the acting Deputy he was exposed, Jamesgot PC then We get one done at NSY Chief Constable, a police inquiry Watters to make a series of-further (New Scotland Yard) as well. has been set up under Chief Super- police inquiries about Mr Smith. There's two separate phone intendenr-Ray Tilley. The next These included getting out a cri- calls; we do one to the local day, PC David Wastell of Burnham minal investigation file from High area, and then they phone up police, station, whom, we had/ Wycombe police station, a 'CID81' > NSY ... My mate, he gets one named in our allegations; was which is a form used to request full through the Thames Valley,he suspended from duty. does a TVP check which covers details of previous convictions, and the local area, and if there's no The New Statesman has now a 'check on known associates', joy on thaf he phones up obtained details of conversations which is information .specifically NSY. . .Thetve got a computer between James and others in which' recorded on the Thames Valley there - they ve got the villains he outlined a wide-ranging net- Police Intelligence 'Computer. on from all over the whole wofk of police contacts, including a The night before, James had got country ... woman in the Special Branch, who PC Watters to do one or more were on tap for information. Other checks on vehicles which had been And if the matter was Of security interest: contacts included a Detective In- at Mr Smith's address. The next t spector and a Detective Chief day, James was asked hpw he got Well I've got somebody in the Special Branch ... I could ask port which is now being prepared. her if she could have a look for Mr Julian Jacottet, the Thames 'me and see .. .It could be a bit Valley' Police Authority member ) dicey. and Labour County Councillor for POLICE INVESTIGATORS Abingdon, who witnessed the con- have now been given tapes made qlusion of our inquiry, said last by this writer while posing as a week that he was impressed by the videogames company manager, in 'speed and determination' with which James was asked for and which the police inquiry had be- supplied details of individuals and gun. 'But I am deeply disturbed vehicles from the Police National that only a few days later the police Computer. Because of the involve- were again issuing complacent ment of serving police officers, no statements about the Thames Val- arrests or charges can normally be ley computer, if not the PNC. The made until the Director of Public lesson of what has happened is that , Prosecutions has reviewed the re- no private information is safe.' 0