This article is published in today's Nottingham Post:
Notts police accused of racial and disability discrimination
A police officer claims he was refused a permanent post near home, despite his chronic back problems.
Jaswant Singh, 45, from Leicester, is claiming disability and racial discrimination against Notts Police after his request for a permanent post at East Leake station was refused.
Mr Singh has had chronic back problems for ten years. He was transferred from frontline duties to West Bridgford and then to Carlton police station.
But Mr Singh said driving to Carlton was aggravating his back. His request to be re-stationed at West Bridgford and then at East Leake was refused.
Mr Singh told an employment tribunal in Nottingham: "There was a total denial that I was even suffering a disability."
Mr Singh claimed he was pressured to work more hours and was later diagnosed with high blood pressure and a heart condition.
Chairman of the bench Peter Britton said: "What is suggested... is that this gentleman is proud to be a policeman. His back problem gets worse as time goes by and it means he cannot sadly continue in an operational role. His back problems are chronic, he has to have epidurals, he would like to take really strong painkillers but he can't because if he does he can't drive."
Mr Singh acknowledged that his shifts were changed so that he wouldn't have to drive at peak times, and that he was referred to occupational health.
This letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
Bus problems
In response to Lorna Crane's letter (Mailbox, March 6) provision of the easy access buses on service 50 and 51, is a matter for the operator, Arriva, not the city council.
Arriva took delivery of a fleet of easy access Volvo single-deck buses last year, which should help. But at present, their fleet is a mixture of easy access and step-entrance buses.
Bus operators are not required by law to have a 100 per cent easy access fleet until 2017, and Arriva's fleet should conform to this well before then.
But Arriva don't help their own case by scheduling easy access and step entrance buses on the same roads, without showing any indication in their timetables which journeys will be run by which types of bus.
Until the step entrance buses are eliminated from the fleet, it would probably be better to restrict them to certain routes and specify clear which routes are easy access and which are step entrance.
Terry Kirby, Barwell.
This letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:
Plea answered
While I have every sympathy for the disabled in respect to travelling on Arriva buses 50 and 51, I would like to point out to Mrs Lorna Crane (Mailbox, March 7) the facts relating to the change of the city centre terminus from the ludicrous Causeway Lane stop back to the Haymarket.
I campaigned to get the Haymarket stop reinstated. Both the city council and Arriva listened to my pleas on behalf of pensioners and disabled people and discussions were entered into.
I must praise Mr Julian Heubeck, the city's public transport co-ordinator, for the way he dealt with the problem, keeping me informed of progress.
With regard to special buses for the disabled, it should be remembered that both the 50 and 51 are mainly on rural routes and capital expenditure by Arriva on the special buses has to be restricted. As far as I am aware, the city council has no influence on this.
Mrs Crane, in her original letter, was out of date because the route changes had already been made, but may I wish her the best of luck if she campaigns for disabled buses and hope she gets more support than I got in my campaign.
Peggy Brooks, Leicester
From today's Leicester Mercury:
"Racist" remarks probed by police
Police are investigating remarks made by a councillor at a meeting to discuss plans for a travellers' site.
Robert Fraser, county councillor for Groby and Ratby, said Romanians would "stick a knife in you as soon as look at you", and that some Europeans "make the Irish look like complete amateurs".
Travellers' spokesman, Alfred Kefford, said he was outraged by the Conservative councillor's "racist" comments.
He heard them after footage of the meeting was posted on video website YouTube. He complained to the police.
Today, Coun Fraser, a former county council member for equality, apologised and said he regretted the "spur-of-the-moment" remarks.
He made the comments at a Groby Parish Council meeting called after the Leicester Mercury revealed plans for a site for about 50 caravans off Sacheverell Way, in Groby.
Responding to an audience member who spoke about the level of knife crime allegedly linked to the travelling community, Coun Fraser said: "The Romanians, they'll stick a knife in you as soon as look at you.
"There might be some good ones. Forgive me if there are any Romanians here (the audience laughs) and hopefully that's a 'no' because I wouldn't get out of here (he points at a walking stick). I'm a bit slow."
He also told the audience: "By gosh, some of these European ones, they make the Irish look like complete amateurs and I would dread, I would dread to see them in Groby."
Mr Kefford, chairman of the Leicester Gipsy Council Liaison Group, said: "I'm appalled, shocked and disgusted at these comments.
"They are racist. A lot of damage has been done and seeing these comments on YouTube, of all places, is very, very hurtful.
"If they were directed at any other ethnic group, there would be a public outcry.
"We are trying hard to break down barriers between the gipsy community and the public, and things like this certainly do not help."We are a race of people who have been around for hundreds of years. We are an ethnic group."
Calling for Coun Fraser to resign, he said the comments were akin to "incitement to racial hatred", adding: "To do it in a public place is totally unacceptable."
Dr Ion Jinga, Romanian ambassador to the UK, said the comments were "extremely regrettable and totally unfair". He said: "I would like to remind your readers that Romanians are citizens of the European Union, like the British people are."
"Romanians living in the UK are, in an overwhelming majority, highly skilled, hard workers and respectful to the laws, just as the few thousands of British citizens living in Romania are."
After being contacted by the Mercury, Coun Fraser said he "bitterly regretted" the "spur-of-the-moment comment" which "may have caused offence to the majority of decent, law-abiding Romanian people".
He said: "There was no intent on my part to introduce any racist element into the meeting, but I accept I may have allowed my judgement to become momentarily clouded.
"I would like to stress my awareness of the fact that an increasing number of Britons now holiday perfectly safely in Romania each year, and if the opportunity arose, I would quite happily holiday there myself. I don't regard myself as a racist in any way. In fact, I have an excellent record of positively working with, and on behalf of, Leicestershire's minority groups in my time as county council member for equalities."
Coun Fraser said he did not know the meeting was being filmed and said he did not think he should resign over the matter.
Hundreds of residents attended the meeting at Groby Community College on January 8 to discuss the travellers' site plan by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
Among the speakers was Conservative MP for Charnwood, Stephen Dorrell.
He told the Mercury he thought Coun Fraser's comments were "extremely unwise", but not racist.
He said: "I don't think what he said should necessarily lead to his resignation, but his words were extremely unwise and plain wrong in my view.
"Romania is a country of 50 or 60 million people and the majority of those are fine, law-abiding people.
"I don't think it's racist because I don't think that Romanians are a race of people. The comments are anti-Romanian."
Peter Batty, parish council chairman and borough councillor for Groby, also spoke at the travellers' site meeting.
He said: "I think you must look at the context of that meeting. There was a lot of anxiety from a lot of people. Maybe Coun Fraser shouldn't have responded that way. I can't defend that comment. I wouldn't have said that, but I can't tell you what was going through somebody else's mind."
There were nearly 400 visits to the website footage of the meeting on YouTube. It has now been removed.
A police spokeswoman said: "The matter referred to on YouTube was brought to our attention on Friday.
"We are now carrying out an investigation to establish if any criminal offences have been disclosed."
A spokesman for the county council said the comments "will be formally investigated within the council's procedures".
