02/03/2017 Look East (West)

The Chief Constable of Bedfordshire defends his force

after it's rated the worst in the country.

the people who killed a 60-year-old woman in Milton Keynes.

First tonight, a damning verdict on Bedfordshire Police and why it

The Inspectorate of Constabularies today released the results

of their inspections of all our forces.

Cambridgeshire and Thames Valley, which covers Milton Keynes,

Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire were told they require improvement.

But Bedfordshire Police was the only force in in the country to be

classed as inadequate - with particular criticism

for its work on preventing crime and supporting victims.

In a moment, we'll hear from the Chief Constable,

but first this report from Tom Barton.

Bedfordshire Police officers search for evidence after the arrest of a

As well as a small amount of cannabis, they found

several thousand pounds in cash and a number of SIM

This one here, that was found down the side of the bed.

But while this arrest has been successful, the

force has today been found to be failing by the policing watchdog.

It is a deeply disappointing result for the force.

The force, I think, will say they don't recognise some

of the things that I've identified within my

findings, but I think it is important that the public in

Bedfordshire know that actually, the level

of policing service they are

receiving at the moment is simply not good enough.

Overall, the verdict was that the force was

43 inspection reports have been published to daily into

every police force in England and Wales.

Only one, though, Bedfordshire, has been found to be

The force, though, said it has been unfairly judged.

In Luton, Bedfordshire's gangs and guns

unit goes to drugs seized during a recent arrest.

Alongside ?15,000 worth of heroin and cannabis, they

But this team, dealing with some of the

highest level series crime in the country,

A victim, says Bedfordshire, of the fact that this force only

receive the same sort of funding as low crime, rural areas.

If you've got a force that's trying to combat the

level of criminality, we need the resources to do so,

otherwise we will never eradicate it and prevente it long-term.

That, for you, is the biggest challenge?

I would like to be ahead of the game,

rather than trying to enforce and just be dealing

I think more resources would enable us to do that and concentrate

As the suspected drug dealer arrested this

morning is taken into custody, the force that's investigating him

faces some serious questions about its own performance.

Earlier, I spoke with the Chief Constable

of Bedfordshire Police, John Boucher, who says the verdict

Clearly, I'm very, very disappointed with the grading.

Bedfordshire Police is rebuilding, modernising and working

tirelessly to protect vulnerable people and connect

with our communities, and very little of the

really good work that has been done has been commented on in

But they are also saying there is no consistent community

presence and that you are failing to stop crime at source.

According to HMIC, you are failing in

your basic task of protecting the public, aren't you?

They say we need to do more about domestic abuse,

they were concerned about vulnerability, so we put more

resources into vulnerability - and crime's changing,

so domestic abuse, we've set up a new unit,

We are protecting more people and dealing

with domestic abuse in a far better way.

You know better than anyone that this is fundamentally a

Aren't you, therefore, losing the funding argument?

No, I don't think we are losing the funding argument.

At the moment, the funding formula is being looked at.

I genuinely believe the police minister is listening.

We need, just to bring us somewhere towards parity, only

towards parity, another 300 police officers.

That's 30% more in our workforce, which is about

That sounds like a terribly large amount of money but, in policing

terms, it really isn't, and that would provide us

with an ability to protect the communities in

Bedfordshire and provide local policing in a way that has to be

This isn't a force that has resourses that you can just move

resources around without having an impact elsewhere.

What is your message to people right now

watching this, living in Bedfordshire, who think they've got

in Bedfordshire, we have to be smarter than other people

and the officers and staff of this force do an

incredibly difficult job brilliantly.

There are fears many schools in our region would be worse off

if the government's new funding formula goes through.

The proposed changes, due to be implemented

from next September, are proving controversial.

They are meant to even out the distribution of money

across primary and secondary provision, but critics says some

of the most deprived areas in our region will lose out ...

Schools will be giving a lump sum, taking into account levels of social

mobility as well as other factors. Nationwide, 11,000 schools will

benefit and 9000 Wilmot. Then look at two examples in our region. The

date when it is Northamptonshire with an additional ?7 million in the

coffers. Over two thirds of school set to gain but the biggest loser in

one of the poorest areas is Luton, ?500 less than pupil with all bar to

primary schools facing cuts. If the idea was to give funding to

all areas where there is a great need, greater deprivation and the

area that can do more in terms of improving attendance and skills of

the future generation, one would think that any governments would put

that as a priority. That is not the case in terms of Luton. Head

teachers say they are worried. We spoke to the principle of Passmore

School in Harlow, facing a three quarters of ?1 million cart. The

governing body said he could lose 20 teachers. I have let them know that,

for that particular year, I will draw the line up on how they can

save that money but I will not implement it, so there will be a

difficult choice at some point for me and for them. I will either have

to leave because they live me to do something I'm not going to do or

they will have to get rid of me because I will do it. The Department

for Education said the current system is unfair, opaque and

outdated. They want to end this historic political glossary. --

lottery. Help me find my mother's killers:

That's the plea from a Milton keynes man after his mother was killed

by a gang in Milton Keynes. In January, six men broke

into the home of Hang Yin Leung, pinning her down and

stealing her belongings. The 65-year-old died

of her injuries ten days later. Her death is now being

treated as murder. To me, what has been

taken cannot be replaced. So, please, if you

have any information on the events that took place

on the 31st of January, please contact Crimestoppers

at Thames Valley Police. Today, Keith Leung paid

tribute to his mother and spoke of the lifelong

friend he had lost. I just remember her as someone

who is bubbly, energetic, as the way that she would want

to be remembered. Mrs Leung's house

in Milton Keynes was picked out by a gang of six men,

who returned on the 31st of January. It was on this night

that they forced their way inside,

pinning her to the floor. Police today were keen to stress

this is no longer a burglary, but a murder investigation

and they are appealing for the public's help to

find those responsible. We ask anyone who has

travelled between Milton Keynes and Ellsbury

on that evening, Tuesday the 31st of January,

between 6:30pm and 9:30pm, if they've

noticed a car driving erratically, dangerously, possibly up to six

persons in their vehicle, The thieves that targeted

Mrs Leung's house took a number of possessions,

including a gold oyster Rolex and her long service police medal

from Hong Kong. Police want to hear from anyone

who may have information about these items and wish to assure the public

that there is a team of 30 officers who are dedicated to

catching those responsible. Good evening. Some wet weather

briefing in over 99 but it is dry at the moment. A wet forecast for

tomorrow and into the weekend. For tonight, clear skies out there. That

means a chilly temperature for the first part of the night.

Temperatures down to 2-3dC. More cloud rating in from the south with

some rain. We start the day tomorrow with quite a lot of wet weather,

pushing northwards and being quite windy from the cell, quite a brisk

breeze expected but that bring clear northwards, so there might be

something a little drier and perhaps a little brighter. Temperatures on

the mild side, 10 Celsius, under the ground with the rain, not feeling

too pleasant. The national weather weekend, we have more rain in the

forecast. Rain at