J7 EXCLUSIVE: Peter Power Dorset Police Suspension & the DPP File

First published: 7th February 2008

CV fakery: 7/7 terror rehearsal man suspended from Dorset Police

Peter Power appears regularly on television and radio news programmes in connection with terrorism and security items. His status as an expert is based upon his widely advertised experiences in the Metropolitan Police: the Brixton Riots, the Libyan embassy siege, the Oxford Circus and Kings Cross Underground fires, and the development of the Gold/Silver/Bronze command structure.

He is, though, uncharacteristically silent about one phase of his career: the Dorset years. It is noticeably absent from his Wikipedia entry. In the case of his potted biography for the BBC Panorama programme "London Under Attack" it is omitted completely:

PETER POWER
Crisis management specialist & government adviser
Visor consulting 1995- present
Director BET Group Security 1992-1994
Senior Officer Metropolitan Police 1971-1992

BET is assumed to be the British Electric Traction company. It was taken over by its chief competitor, Rentokil, in 1996.

The problem with this is that between 1990 and 1993 Peter Power was working neither for the Metropolitan Police, nor for BET, but for Dorset Police. Why is Peter Power so reticent about this? Could it have something to do with the circumstances in which he left Dorset Police?

On 23rd April 1993, the Dorset Echo featured Peter Power on its front page:

Police chief faces inquiry
Echo exclusive by Paul Thomas
Dorset Echo
23rd April 1993

One of West Dorset's top policemen has been suspended from duty, it was learned today.

Superintendent Peter Power who commands a sub-division covering Dorchester, Shaftesbury, Swanage, Blandford, Sherborne, and Wareham, is the subject of a force internal inquiry, said Deputy Chief Constable Tony Pointer.

Mr Pointer would not reveal the nature of the investigation but said Supt Power had been suspended "pending completion of inquiries into an internal matter within Dorset Police."

The Deputy Chief Constable added: "No member of the public is involved."

Supt Power was appointed to his present post last year after transferring to the Dorset force from the Metropolitan Police - where he had served for 19 years - in 1990.

While in London he was involved in major incidents including the Iranian Embassy siege and the Kings Cross fire.

During Supt Power's absence Chief Inspector Ted Ryan has been appointed officer in charge at Blandford.

A scan of the above article is available here. This story was also reported in the national press by the Sunday Times on 8th August 1993:

The Crown Prosecution Service has been sent details of an investigation into a senior police officer with the Dorset force. Dorset police confirmed yesterday that Superintendent Peter Power, the officer in charge of the west of the county, has been suspended on full pay since April but refused to outline the allegations against him. Power, who was involved in the Iranian embassy siege and King's Cross fire, transferred to Dorset in 1990 after serving 19 years in the Metropolitan police.

NB: These reports appear to have mistakenly confused the Iranian embassy siege with the Libyan embassy siege.

On September 2nd 1993, the departure of Peter Power from Dorset Police was announced on page 3 of the Dorset Echo:

Suspended police chief leaves force
Dorset Echo
September 2nd 1993

A West Dorset senior policeman currently under suspension from duty is to retire early on medical grounds.

Superintendent Peter Power (42) will leave the force on September 26.

He was suspended following an internal police inquiry earlier this year after which a file was submitted for consideration to the Director of Public Prosecution.

A Dorset Police spokesman said Supt Power's retirement grounds were "confidential".

She added "Supt Power is entitled to an ill-health pension. His retirement does not affect any liability for action by the DPP".

Supt Power commands a sub-division covering Dorchester, Shaftesbury, Swanage, Blandford, Sherborne and Wareham.

Chief Inspector Ted Ryan was appointed in charge following Supt Power's suspension.

This was also confirmed in the national press by the Guardian on 2nd September 1993:

Superintendent Peter Power, aged 42, who has been suspended on full pay since April, is to leave the Dorset force on September 26 on health grounds.

Dorset Police, like Peter Power, are suspiciously uncommunicative on the issue of Peter Power's suspension from the force. They would neither confirm nor deny even the information that they had already released to the press in 1993 in response to a Freedom of Information request:

I request the following information:

1. Whether, at any time between 1990 and 1995, an officer named Peter Power served in the Dorset Police Force. (To assist you with my request, I have information which indicates he may have held the rank of Superintendent with particular responsibility for West Dorset).

If Peter Power was an officer in the Dorset Police Force, I request the following further information:

2. The month and year which he joined the force.

3. The month and year which he left the force.

4. The reason he left the force.

5. Whether he was suspended in 1993.

6. If he was suspended, whether he was re-instated and if so the month and year he was re-instated.

The response to this FOI request was as follows:

REFERENCE NO: 300/11/07

I write in connection with your request for information sent on 20th November 2007, and received by Dorset Police the following day, regarding someone who may or may not have served with Dorset Police.

You specifically asked:

Whether, at any time between 1990 and 1995, an officer named - served in the Dorset Police Force.

If - was an officer in the Dorset Police Force, I request the following further information:

2. The month and year which he joined the force?

3. The month and year which he left the force?

4. The reason he left the force.

5. Whether he was suspended in 1993.

6. If he was suspended, whether he was re-instated and if so the month and year he was re-instated.

Your request for information has now been considered and I am not obliged to supply the information that you have requested.

Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Dorset Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which: (a) states that fact, (b) specifies the exemption in question and (c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

In this case Dorset Police can neither confirm nor deny that it holds the information you requested, as the duty in Section 1(1) a of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not apply, by virtue of the exemptions defined under Sections 31(3) – Law Enforcement, 38(2) – Health and Safety, 40(5) – Personal Information, 41(2) – Information Provided in Confidence and 44(2) – Prohibitions on Disclosure.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, information that is disclosed is published without restriction, not in confidence to the individual applicant. As such, Dorset Police would not wish to confirm or deny to the public at large whether information is held about an individual or individuals.

In accordance with the Act, this letter represents a Refusal Notice for this particular request.� This action cannot be taken as confirmation or denial that Dorset Police holds, or does not hold, the information you have asked for.

Please contact me if you would like to discuss any aspect of this response. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in Dorset Police.

The BBC was commendably vigilant when its Newsnight team checked the evidence for a Policy Exchange report. It should equally thoroughly check the credentials of Peter Power.

In particular:

• What is the explanation for the incorrect biographical information supplied for the Panorama programme "London Under Attack"?

• Is there evidence for the claims made by Peter Power about his involvement in the Brixton riots, the Libyan embassy siege, the Oxford Circus fire and the Kings Cross fire?

• Was Peter Power prosecuted as a result of the Dorset Police investigation?

• Is Peter Power still receiving an ill health pension from Dorset Police, at the same time as he is very actively pursuing a consultancy career?

• Why, in view of his apparently glittering career and obvious appetite for self publicity, with every prospect of attaining one of the top positions in the Met, did Peter Power transfer to Dorset?

Until these questions are satisfactorily answered, we ought not to be subjected to Peter Power pontificating on matters such as the resignation of Sir Ian Blair or the case for 90 day detention on news programmes.

More on the J7 Blog. You can read more about Peter Power's history and the 7/7 Terror Rehearsal here.