Operation Countryman: The Flawed Enquiry into London Police Corruption

In the summer of 1978, rumours emerged from the underworld that huge sums of money had been paid to the City of London Police to water-down evidence and arrange bail in cases of armed robbery. Then it was suggested that Scotland Yard’s Flying Squad was also involved. The Home Secretary appointed the Dorset Police to investigate but it became clear to the criminals upon whom they relied to provide evidence that they were completely out of their depth. One line of enquiry after another became hopelessly compromised. While the investigation was known officially as Operation COUNTRYMAN, things were so bad that the team were variously nicknamed ‘The Swedey’ and ‘Malice in Blunderland’. Despite a four year enquiry costing GBP4,000,000, eight Metropolitan police officers were acquitted and just two City of London officers were imprisoned. Operation COUNTRYMAN had little to do with that success; the convictions resulted from the fearlessness of a City of London policeman. The Author, a former Metropolitan police officer has used his knowledge and contacts to lift the lid on the shambolic COUNTRYMAN enquiry. He pulls no punches. AUTHOR: Dick Kirby was born in the East End of London and joined the Metropolitan Police in 1967. Half of his twenty-six years’ service was spent with Scotland Yard’s Serious Crime Squad and the Flying Squad. Kirby contributes to newspapers and magazines on a regular basis, as well as appearing on television and radio. The Guv'nors, The Sweeney, Scotland Yard’s Ghost Squad, The Brave Blue Line, Death on the Beat, Scourge of Soho and London’s Gangs at War are all published under the Pen & Sword True Crime imprint and he has further other published works to his credit.
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