British Transport Police

RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE RAILWAY BRITAIN

The British Transport Police (BTP) can trace their pedigree back to 1826 when a mention is made of the Police establishment on the Stockton and Darlington Railway. The force are therefore one of the oldest Police Forces in the world, pre-dating London's Metropolitan Police by three years.

The BTP have often been in the forefront of Policing Techniques. The first arrest to be made by the use of "information technology" was made in 1845 by Sergeant WILLIAMS of the Great Western Railway Police when he arrested a murderer after a description of the man was passed to him by the newly invented "electric telegraph" The Railway Police were one of the first to recruit women to their ranks and in 1908 the North Eastern Railway Police pioneered the use of Police Dogs.

THE FIRST RAILWAY POLICE

The modern Police Service owes much to Sir Patrick COLQUHOUN (1745 - 1820) who in 1796 published a treatise entitled "The Police of the Metropolis". He recommended the creation of a centralised Police Service for the Country and the use of men specifically trained for the purpose. After much discussion and a series of Parliamentary Committees, Sir Robert PEEL introduced his famous Act of Parliament in 1829, which led to the creation of the Metropolitan Police.

When the first 'Peelers' stepped out onto the streets of London, railways were already in existence; the first Railway Act is dated 1758. Railways, however, were used to carry goods a short distance and horsepower provided the locomotion. In 1830 the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was formally opened by the Duke of Wellington. It was the first public railway in the world to transport traffic (goods and passengers) by locomotive, but the occasion was marred by the first railway fatality; the Rt. Hon. William HUSKISSON disobeyed the railway companies instructions and alighted from the train onto the track. He was struck by a passing engine. This accident and the difficulties in crowd control on the day underlined the need for Policing the railway. A contemporary account of the event says:

"The (local) Garrison was under arms and at various points within the site of the railway…cavalry were placed. Without this display of military force there would certainly have been a breach of the Peace, the populace having taken possession of many parts of the railway".

Within a few months of both the introduction of the Metropolitan Police and the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway the first 'Railway Police' Force was formed. In November 1830, minutes of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway refer to 'The Police Establishment' and less than a year later it is satisfactory to note a pay rise was given to the Railway Police due to the responsibility of their office.

These early Railway Policemen were probably sworn in as 'Special Constables' under a statute passed in 1673 during the reign of Charles II. They were appointed to:-

Preserve law and order on the construction site of the railway.
Patrol and protect the line.
Control the movement of railway traffic.

To this end 'station houses' were placed at one-mile intervals along the line to provide shelter for the Railway Police. The term 'Police Station' used by most Police Forces probably derives from these buildings.

'The Railway Companion' in 1833 referring to Liverpool and Manchester Railway, says:

"The Company keep a Police Establishment who have station houses at intervals of about a mile along the road. These stations form depots for passengers and goods from or to any of the intervening places. The duties assigned to these men are to guard the road, to prevent or give notice of any obstruction and to render assistance in the case of any accident occurring, and to do this effectively, to keep up a continued line of communication."

In 1831 The Special Constables Act was passed and Railway Policemen had jurisdiction not only on the railway but in the area in which they were appointed. The London, Birmingham and Liverpool Railway Companion of 1838 reports 'Each Constable, besides being in the employ of the company, is sworn as a County Constable; they receive the same pay and wear a dress similar to that of the Metropolitan Police, except in colour, which is green.' In the same year The Great Western Railway Police wore uniforms 'with a stand-up collar in scarlet cloth with G.W.R. and a number thereon…hats are similar to the Metropolitan Police and Inspectors are distinguished by a red stripe of an inch and a quarter on the trousers.'

Most constables carried elaborately painted truncheons bearing the crest of the Railway Company. Inspectors carried a brass or ivory 'tipstaff' surmounted by a crown.

In order to regulate trains, watches, flags and lamps were issued to each man; (The Ulster Railway Police were even issued with a shovel and a wheelbarrow to help remove obstructions from the line.) The watch was a rare item among working men at this time and was used to ensure there was a suitable delay between trains entering each section of track and thus avoid collision. The flags were red and white, the former to mean 'stop' the latter to mean 'all clear.'

If you look carefully at a £5 note you can see a Railway Policeman on horseback, carrying a flag before an early steam train.
The duties of these forerunners of the Police Service were to maintain law and order on the railways and to regulate the movement of trains. These somewhat static duties were, however, to change in the next fifty years as the railway network extended throughout the country.

THE NAVIGATORS

A huge workforce was required to build the ever expanding railway system. Thousands of men previously used to cut canals or 'navigations' were used to build stations, lay track, dig cuttings, build embankments and excavate tunnels. Many of these 'navvies' came from Ireland, Wales and even the continent to get employment.

Large shanty towns would be set up in rural areas to accommodate these men who all required food, drink and other home comforts. These armies of rough workers with their various 'hangers -on' brought fear into genteel rural Victorian England. In 1836 the inhabitants of Slough and Buckinghamshire asked for some of the newly formed Metropolitan Police to be sent to protect them from the men building the railways, 'the parochial constable being totally unable to afford any protection'.

An 1851 account of these early railway workers says:

"They injured everything they approached. From their huts to the part of the railway they were working on, over corn and grass they tore down embankments, injured young plantations, made gaps in hedges with no regard to damage or the property they invaded. Game disappeared from the most sacred preserves; game keepers were defied; and country gentlemen who had imprisoned country rustics by the dozen for violating the law shrank in despair of the railway navigator".

Local justices appointed Special constables to help keep these invading armies under control but the cost, of course, fell on the local ratepayers. In consequence, on 10th August 1838 an Act was passed which required Railway Companies to pay for constables to keep the peace near railway works.

These Police Officers certainly had to work hard for their money and often could not cope with the scale of disorder that was caused. In 1839 when the Chester and Birkenhead Railway was under construction fighting broke out between the English and Irish 'Navigators' and it was four days before order was restored by a detachment of infantry.

In 1840 labourers murdered a ganger on the Edinburgh to Glasgow Railway and it required a company of the 58th Foot Infantry to arrest the ring-leaders. The perpetrators were subsequently hung on a makeshift scaffold beside the tracks.

In 1846 two navvies were arrested for stealing watches and placed in a lock-up near Edinburgh. Other navvies marched to the Police House, released the prisoners and murdered the local constable. In Swindon, the same year, navvies tunneled under the floor of the lock-up to release one of their friends.

In 1851, even Brunel himself was involved with the 'Battle of Mickleton' on Oxford Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway where the Riot Act had to be read out twice.

In 1866 the building of the railway near Tunbridge Wells was delayed following skirmishes between English labourers and foreign workers from France and Belgium who were believed to have been employed to under cut English wage rates. Houses where foreigners stayed were attacked by mobs and local shops were closed and premises boarded up until order could be restored by hastily sworn in Special Constables, and the threat of 100 infantry men who were placed on alert at nearby barracks.

This use of Special Constables was not unusual and often railway employees themselves were sworn in as 'specials.' In 1848 for example, when there was a fear of revolution in the country, the London and North Western Railway ordered 20,000 police truncheons and at the same time the locomotive Superintendent at Wolverton had the whole of his workforce agree to be Special Constables.

At this time towns such as Crewe, Slough and Swindon , which were built to accommodate railway workers were policed by the companies force. In 1846 the first Police Station in Crewe was built by the railway who also appointed its officers.

A CHANGE OF ROLE

With the advent of mechanical signaling and the telegraph to improve communication and the introduction of County and Borough Police Forces, The Railway Policeman's role 'lineside' to protect the track and regulate traffic was surplus to requirements. He found himself being called upon to prevent and investigate crime and to assist with other 'station duties.' An 1837 regulation of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway required intended passengers to apply to a 'constable' for a ticket. He required 24 hours notice and noted the 'name, address, place of birth, age, occupation and reason for the journey in his book'.

This accounts for the term 'booking office'. If the journey was considered to be for a 'just lawful cause' a ticket would be issued.

CRIME ON RAILWAY

The continually expanding network of railways gave criminals new opportunities to move around the country and commit crime. The railways were pioneers of the electric telegraph and its use often involved the arrest of criminals arriving or departing by train. On 1 January 1845 a Railway Police Sergeant became the first person to arrest a murderer following the use of an electric telegraph.

As the amount of merchandise carried by rail increased the amount of thefts on the railways rose accordingly. In 1838 Her Majesty's Mails were conveyed by rail for the first time .The first mail thefts were reported shortly afterwards. In 1848 the Eastern Counties Railway lost 76 pieces of luggage in just one day, and by the following year thefts from the largest six railways amounted to over £100,000 a year.

The goods manager at Euston wrote in 1853, 'Thieves are pilfering the goods from our wagons to an impudent extent. Not a night passes without wine hampers, silk parcels, draper's boxes or other provisions being robbed.' Thefts of goods were often committed by railway staff and in 1873 ten railmen were sentenced to 10 year's imprisonment for stealing from their employers.
The first railway murder was committed by a German, MULLER, who robbed and killed a fellow passenger on a train in North London in 1864.

The first arrest abroad by the British Police occurred in 1874 when a Metropolitan Police Inspector accompanied by a Railway Police Inspector went to the United States to arrest a former employee who had embezzled from the Grand Metropolitan Railway.
As claims for compensation for lost goods increased the Railway Companies decided to act by forming Detective Departments.

The London and North Western Railway and Great Western Railway formed their C.I.D in 1863 but had used Police Officers in plain clothes to undertake special enquiries for several years before. Writing in 1894 the historian John PENDLETON said, "The men in the Detective Departments on the railway do not fall like the persons they track, into disgrace. They are patient, enduring, and smart and sometimes do clever and important work that has more than money value to the Company."

DECLINE

In certain cases, as the duties of the Police were diverted from traffic control to protective work, the control of the Force was divided and the principal departments, such as the operating and commercial department, had their own Police Establishments. This led to a decline in the Railway Police at a time when (after the passing of the 1856 County Police Act) County Police Forces were being formed and becoming better organised.

Some Railway companies such as the L.N.W.R., the Midland and the North Eastern Railway still maintained a Police Force with uniforms and Police Powers whereas others reduced their Forces, their duties being restricted to those in the companies interests. Often they had to perform non-police related tasks and one railway employed railmen unfit for normal duties as constables. In the final decades of the last century many railways relied on the new County Police to do the 'real' police work and 'hired in' detectives where necessary. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway at this time had a Police Force with fine uniforms. They had ,however, no Police Powers.

The Railway Police at the turn of the century were therefore a hotchpotch of various forces, some with efficient uniformed men but others with old and undisciplined officers, 'Police' in name only and with a variety of duties to perform. In Ilford, one poor Railway Police Sergeant was blamed for a collision, when he was dealing with a disturbance involving some trespassers, when he should have been changing some points!

A TIME FOR CHANGE

From 1900 several railway companies re-organised their police forces. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway virtually reformed their police force from scratch in that year, followed by the Great Eastern, the North Eastern and Midland in 1910, Caledonian in 1917 and lastly the G.W.R. in 1918.

As with almost all County and Borough Forces these reorganised forces were headed by ex-army officers.

One of these Railway Police Chiefs, Captain Horwood of the N.E.R. Police later became Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. The North Eastern Railway Police at this time were the first Police Force in this country to use dog patrols. The 'Penny Pictorial' in 1910 reported "The novel experiment by the N.E.R. Police of employing dogs as detectives on the docks at Hull….consist of a number of trained Airedale Terriers which, in company with the Railway Police, patrol throughout the night and capture thieves, tramps and other persons who may be sleeping out. The dogs are trained to obey a Police whistle and to chase and stop a man who is running away." An accompanying photograph shows a sergeant with a muzzled dog.

Nearly all other police forces in the world have followed suit.

A NEW CENTURY - A BETTER DEAL

Reorganisation pulled the Railway Police with a sharp tug into the 20th century. Pay, conditions and uniforms were improved and establishments increased. One railway provided training for its constables and facilities to improve their education and Manuals of Guidance were issued. These reforms came just in time, for the Great War was to put a huge strain on the railways and their Police.
In some Railway Police Forces over half of the manpower was conscripted, the remaining officers being supplemented by Special Constables and, for the first time, female Police officers. (In 1914 the Great Eastern Railway Police recruited nine women as Special Constables, one of the first police forces to do so.) Hours for the Railway Police increased and wages dropped. Special wartime regulations gave police extra duties as the railways became targets for bombers. Several stations received direct hits including Liverpool Street and St. Pancras where there were many casualties.

BETWEEN THE WARS

After the First World War many men returned to their former jobs with the police. In 1919 the pay of all Railway Police was standardised and the Railway Police Federation was formed.

The 1921 Railways Act amalgamated over one hundred separate railway systems (of which about 20 had organised police forces) into four groups:-

The Great Western Railway (G.W.R.)
The London and North Eastern Railway (L.N.E.R.)
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (L.M.S.)
The Southern Railway (S.R.)

Each had its own police force controlled by a Chief of Police. These four forces were organised in the same way; each split into a number of Divisions headed by a Superintendent, divided into a number of Divisions Posts led by an Inspector. Detectives worked with their uniformed colleagues at most locations. Many ' non-police' duties were retained however, with officers acting as crossing keepers or locking and sealing wagons.

During the General Strike of 1926 many members of the public volunteered to work on the railway to keep it moving, and the police issued them with identity cards. Special Constables were again employed and with the threat of sabotage the Railway Policeman once again found himself walking the tracks to check for obstructions, the same duties as his predecessors nearly 100 years previously.

In 1935 Police Establishments increased. The Southern Railway transferred existing employees into the police on secondment and if found suitable they were appointed while the L.M.S. preferred ex-servicemen. The LNER Police trained their new entrants by sending them to Metropolitan Police or other Police Training centres to train with local police constables. This was, however, the exception to the rule as most other entrants got a copy of the Manual of Guidance and were ordered to attend lectures in their own time.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR

During the last war the strength of the Railway Police doubled. With many men conscripted Special Constables and Women Police were again employed. (This time female officers were here to stay)

Virtually all Officers were trained in the use of Firearms and many especially those at docks and ports carried them all the time. In many cities bombing raids took their toll and railway lines and stations received direct hits. In London 79 Underground stations were used as shelters. A bomb near Balham Station fractured a water main and 68 persons sheltering at the station were drowned. A direct hit on Bank station caused the death of 56 passengers. These were just two of the many incidents.

Large amounts of goods were carried by rail and with rationing, thefts became a huge problem. (Thieves obviously being helped by the many 'blackouts'). Between 1941 and 1952 thefts on the railway actually exceeded the total number of thefts reported by all the police forces in England and Wales combined! Police vigilance during the war was also required at the railway owned docks such as Southampton, Hull, Grimsby and in South Wales where the police also undertook duties on behalf of the War Department and the Admiralty.

One officer worthy of note during the war was Sergeant HUDDART of Leicester who was rewarded the Kings Police Medal for Gallantry after he tackled an armed man who shot at him.

UNIFICATION

During the War the Railways were run by a Railway Executive Committee who set up a Police Committee formed by each of the Chiefs of Police. This committee co-ordinated Britain’s Railway Police and reported to the Railway Executive.

The requirements for training were recognised and in 1945 twelve experienced Railway Police Officers from the four main companies attended a Special Home Office Course for Police Instructors. Their work subsequently led to the formation of the Police Training College which was set up in a former boys school, 'St. Cross' in Tadworth, Surrey in 1948.

The co-ordination of the Railways during the war years worked well, for in 1947 the Transport Act created the British Transport Commission which unified the railway system of this country. On 1st January 1949 the British Transport Commission Police were created, formed from the four old railway police forces, canal police and several minor dock forces. The head of this new organisation was Mr W.B.Richards who was known as Chief Officer (Police) British Transport Commission. He had six areas under him each led by a chief of police. At the time of re-organisation the police establishment consisted of 3,890 Officers. The B.T.C. police were the second largest police force in the country. (At this time the London Transport Police consisted of just 100 Officers who were to amalgamate with the rest of the force in 1960).

The Transport Act 1949 repealed legislation relating to the Railway Police and from that year all members of the Transport Police were appointed by virtue of Section 53. The Act also laid down the jurisdiction of the Force and gave extra powers to stop and search not enjoyed by other forces.

The new Force enjoyed better conditions of service, but pay was lower than that of the 'civil' police perhaps due to much non-police work still being done such as gate duties, and sealing and locking goods wagons.

In 1957, an arbitrator granted pay parity with the 'civil' police. This made such a large force even more expensive to run, and The British Transport Commission set up an inquiry to establish whether there was a need to maintain a separate police for the railway at all. The 'Maxwell-Johnson' enquiry found that policing requirements for the railway could not be met by civil forces and that it was essential that a specialist police force be retained.

Arthur West made many improvements to the force including the establishment of the first Force Headquarters in Park Royal, North West London. He also reorganised the C.I.D. appointing a Chief of Police (Crime) at his new HQ. C.I.D.duties were restricted to the investigation of crime. (Formally they dealt with much summary work including travel frauds).

1961 was a bad year for the Force when the B.T.C. Police lost pay parity with other forces, causing leakage of many good officers to other forces. Soon after, following the 'Beeching Cuts' on the railway, the establishment of the force dropped to 2,300.

In 1962 The British Transport Commission was abolished and the 'Transport Bill' proposed the splitting up of The Transport Police and it was thanks to the vigorous efforts of the Federation that prevented this. In this year 'Commission' was dropped from the title and since then the Force has been known as The British Transport Police.

The new Chief Constable's first task was to improve morale within the Force and this was done by persuading the Police Committee to restore pay parity with other forces and introduce a supplementary allowance to be paid in lieu of the rent allowance paid to Civil Police. He also introduced a Special Police Pension Scheme which had the effect of allowing officers to retire younger and which therefore dropped the average age of the force.

In 1968 new recruits were sent to District Police Training Centres to train alongside their civil police colleagues.

IMPROVEMENTS

In 1975 William O Gay retired and his duties were taken on by Mr Eric Haslem, the former Deputy Chief Constable of the Kent Constabulary. Under Mr Haslem the Force introduced new technology to assist in recording crime on the railway. A computer system (PINS) was set up at Force Headquarters to record crime reports. The B.T.P were the first Police Force in this country to use a computer to report and record crime.

In 1979 the Edmund Davies Committee looked into police pay and awarded large pay rises for 'Home Office' police forces. 'Non Home Office' forces were not included, so again the pay of the Transport Policeman fell below that of the 'Civil Police'. Once again morale dropped and many good officers left to join other forces. The Wright Committee was established to look into the pay of 'Non Home office' Forces and thanks to the efforts of the Federation and The Assistant Chief Constable (Operations) Mr basil NICHOLS, the British Transport Police were the only 'Non Home Office' Force to receive 100% pay parity with Home Office Forces.

A marked increase in offences of violence on the railway (particularly on the Underground) led to a Working Conference being held in 1980. It was jointly chaired by the Home Secretary and the Minister of Transport and the result of this conference was a government commitment for extra financial resources to provide better policing on the railways. An extra 100 officers were recruited for the Underground and 'Mobile Support Units' were established to combat vandalism and late night violence at well known trouble spots.

In 1981 Force Headquarters was transferred to Tavistock Place in Central London.

In 1983 the British Transport Docks Board became "Associated British Ports" and one of the first decisions of this new company was to dispense with the services of the British Transport Police.

Two setbacks for the Force occurred in the mid 1980's with London Buses deciding not to use the British Transport Police in 1984, and the British Transport Docks Board making the same decision the following year.

Following major incidents in the late 1980's (particularly the Kings Cross Fire of 1987) an officer was appointed to co-ordinate Major Incident Training and British Transport Police have traveled the country giving Major Incident Training to other Force and Emergency Services.

During the late 1980's the British Transport Police realised the benefits of recruiting civilians to take over many 'non-police' roles previously done by police officers.

RE-ORGANISATION

On 1st April 1992 under Chief Constable Desmond O'Brien, the British Transport Police was re-organised and divided into eight Areas, each led by an Area Commander. 'Officers in Charge of Police Station' were appointed for each Police Station to manage policing requirements.

1992 also saw the Governments proposals to privatise the Railways and this has led to questions being asked about the future of the Force. Successive Governments have assured the Force that it will remain the National Police Force for policing the railways.

In 1993, with the privatisation of British Rail, the British Transport Police instead report to the Strategic Rail Authority.

POLICING INTO THE MILLENNIUM

The IRA targeted

Britains

railways for the early 1990's with bombs exploding on railway stations, lineside and on trains. The problem was further compounded by numerous hoax calls. In 1991 the Force dealt with 1683 hoax calls and 1391 suspect items. The Force continues to work long hours and liaise with the security services to ensure that the railways are safe.

The opening of the Channel Tunnel saw a dedicated group of officers policing the international link to the continent. During the European Football Tournament of 1998 a British Transport Police Station was opened at Lille Railway Station in France.

Train accidents at, Southall, Paddington Hatfield and Selby in Yorkshire again thrust the work of the Force into the Public arena. Officers worked long hours both on the sites of the accidents and in the aftermath with the long and complex investigations. The work of the Force was acknowledged by, amongst others, Her Majesty the Queen, and the Home Secretary.

To assist with the increasing pressure on the Force, Special Constables have again been appointed.

In 2004 the Strategic Rail Authority was abolished and the Department for Transport take direct control of the coordination of the railways. In 2004 as a result of the Department for Transport taking direct control of the coordination of the railways, a new Police Authority is set up to manage the British Transport Police.

Today the British Transport Police is divided into seven territorial Areas as follows:

LONDON UNDERGROUND AREA (Headquarters at 55 Broadway, London)

Central London
Docklands Light Railway
Finsbury Park
Hammersmith
Heathrow
Stockwell
Wembley Park
West Ham

LONDON NORTH AREA (Headquarters at 423 - 425 Caledonian Road, London)

Kings Cross
Liverpool Street
Paddington
Cambridge
Ipswich
Milton Keynes
Norwich
Peterborough
Southend

LONDON SOUTH AREA (Headquarters at 8A London Bridge Street, London)

Ashford
Brighton
Victoria
Inner London
Croydon
South West Quadrant (Southampton, Bournemouth, Guildford, and Portsmouth)

WALES & WESTERN AREA (Headquarters at Birmingham)

Birmingham
Bristol
Cardiff
Nottingham
Bangor
Coventry
Derby
Exeter
Gloucester
Leicester
Newport
Plymouth
Shrewsbury
Swansea
Swindon
Truro
Wednesbury
Wolverhampton

NORTH EASTERN AREA (Headquarters at Leeds)

Doncaster
Leeds
Newcastle
Darlington
Grimsby
Hull
Lincoln
Middlesborough
Sheffield
York

NORTH WESTERN AREA (Headquarters at Manchester Piccadilly station)

Carlisle
Crewe
Liverpool
Manchester
Preston
Lancaster
Wigan

SCOTTISH AREA (Headquarters at Glasgow)

East Sector Headquarters - Edinburgh
West Sector Headquarters - Glasgow
North Sector Headquarters - Perth
Aberdeen
Dundee
Inverness
Kilwinning
Kirkcaldy & Falkirk
Motherwell
Paisley
Stirling

As a specialist force its 3,002 police officers, Special Constables and police staff provide a policing service across the National Railway system, the London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, the Midland Metro and Croydon Tramlink systems.

The British Transport Police pedigree is traceable to the beginnings of the Police Service and it has often been in the forefront of Policing. There have been many occasions in the past 175 years where conditions, pay and morale have fallen below the high standards the Police Service demands, however the British Transport Police always act with professionalism and dedication to respond to any challenge.

The British Transport Police (BTP)
www.btp.police.uk

THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY POLICE (1835-1947)

It was in 1833 that work began on the London to Bristol line of the Great Western Railway "God's Wonderful Railway" or the "Great Way Round" according to individual prejudice. The state of affairs along the line soon caused concern and in 1835 the company was empowered by Section 210 of its Act of that year, to appoint its own special constables to keep order on the premises. The Great Western Railway Police Force thus formed initially consisted of one inspector, four sub-inspectors and 33 constables who, working in 12-hour shifts, covered the 24 ½ miles of the Paddington to Maidenhead stretch. When construction was complete, it was still necessary to patrol the entire length of the line, as there were no adequate county constabularies in existence to maintain law and order.

The establishment grew and soon the creator of the GWR (Isambard Kingdom Brunel) was able to tell a Parliamentary Select Committee that there was an average of 1½ policemen per mile along the London to Bristol line including those on stations. Thus within a few years the original 38 men had grown into a body of over 170. Its size necessitated the appointment of separate Inspectors to take charge of the London and Bristol Divisions and a third was later added when the railway's growth resulted in the formation of a Northern Division.

The uniform of the early GWR Police, modelled on that of the Metropolitan Force, included a dresscoat and a top hat and boots were also issued. Constables had "GWR" and their number on a stand up collar in scarlet cloth and inspectors were distinguished by a 1¼ inch red stripe down the trouser leg. The top hat gave way to a more comfortable - and less expensive - cap in 1859. Each constable was also issued with an l8 inch wooden staff elaborately decorated in gold paint with a crown and the letters "GWR". Inspectors carried their warrant on a parchment rolled up in a staff consisting of a short hollow brass and ebony tube with a removable, cap in the shape of a crown.

It is well know that originally the railway police patrolled the track and performed many extraneous duties such as signalling trains and acting as "booking" constables in charge of small stations. Some idea of the full extent of what was required of them, however, can be gathered from the following oft-quoted extract from the GWR Police Regulations 1841. "The duties of the police may be stated generally to consist in the preservation of order in all the stations and on the line of railway. They are to give and receive signals; to keep the line free from casual or wilful obstructions; to assist in case of accidents; to caution strangers of danger on the railway; to remove intruders of all descriptions; to superintend and manage the crosses or switches; to give notice of arrivals and departures; to direct persons to the entrance to the stations or sheds; to watch movements of embankments or cuttings, to inspect the rails and solidity of timber; to guard and watch the company's premises; and to convey the earliest information on every subject to their appointed station or superior officer".

Despite this formidable list of duties, some managed to find time to do some police work. In 1845, for example, Sergeant Williams at Paddington was alerted by the recently installed railway telegraph system, that a man believed to be responsible for the murder of a woman at Slough was on a train heading for that station. He met the train on arrival and thus became involved in the arrest of the first murderer ever to be caught by telegraph.

Queen Victoria made the first of many royal train journeys when, in 1842, she travelled on the GWR from Slough to Paddington. The reception at the terminus was an arranged by the superintendent of the line assisted by the chief of the company's police, Superintendent COLLARD. She made innumerable trips after that in the safe custody of the Great Western Police although she later used the nearby Windsor (Central) station which was adjacent to the Castle. A special waiting room was built there for her and many years later it became the Headquarters of the South Western Area of the British Transport Police, the descendant of the GWR Police. The last attempt on the life of a monarch in this country took place there. It happened one day in 1882 when the Queen was leaving the station and a man tried to shoot her but fortunately he was prevented from doing so. It is said that when the man was later found "not guilty by reason of insanity" she insisted on the Trial of Lunatics Act 1883 which provided for the illogical verdict of "guilty but insane" to be substituted. The measure vas not amended until 1964.

CHANGES

SUPERINTENDENT COLLARD, the Western's first chief, retired in 1859. It is probable that he was not replaced for during the latter half of the 19th century the uniformed constables, known as "traffic police", were not centrally organised but were employed by the passenger and goods departments and came under the control of the individual station masters or goods agents like any ordinary railway grade. Those on Paddington Goods station, for example, were paid less than those on the passenger station who were, apparently, able to supplement their incomes by tips for carrying passengers' luggage!

This eclipse of the police resulted in part from the establishment of an efficient and uniform police system throughout the country following the County Police Act 1856. It was then no longer necessary to patrol the entire length of the track and the railway constables were withdrawn to the larger stations and junctions. The growing complexity of the signalling apparatus also brought about a special grade of railway signalman although the police continued to operate switches for some years to come.

Originally the detective work in all forces was carried out by the senior uniformed officers- Superintendent COLLARD, as a matter of fact, was retained for such work after his official retirement. In 1864, however, the GWR was forced to follow the lead of the Metropolitan Police, the London and North Western Railway and others, by establishing a detective department. Known as the "Special Police Department" to distinguish it from the uniformed traffic police, it consisted of plain-clothes detectives drawn from the uniform men and other railway grades. Unlike the traffic police, they were all sworn in as special constables and were paid slightly more than the uniformed men. It is interesting to recall that well into the 1950s, the South Western Area of the BTP retained the initials "SP" (Special Police) as their departmental reference.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries there were therefore two kinds of Great Western Policemen. The uniform constables were not sworn in and came under the local supervision of a railway official and general control of the divisional traffic superintendent. They had to be 5 ft. lOin, in height with a chest measurement of not less than 34in. and under the age of 30 years on appointment. Candidates had to apply to the divisional traffic superintendent. Pay commenced at 21 shillings per week; at the time the Great Northern offered 23, the North Eastern 21 and the London and South Western 19. The GWR also employed a detective or Special Police Department who operated under their own chief detective as part of the General Manager's office. They were paid more than the uniformed men and the company was "empowered to swear in detective officers when desirable." Application to join had to be made to Mr James SAUNDERS, the officer in charge of the Special Police Department at Paddington.

The early special police who, in effect, performed practically all the "real" police work for the company, would have been appointed under Section 210 of the Great Western Railway Act 1835 and jurisdiction was limited to the premises. This was later replaced by Section 56 of the GWR Act 1877 which extended it to half a mile from the railway but also included some unusual provisions. The constables were liable to a 40 shilling penalty if they failed to show their warrant cards on request; they were subject to the regulations of the local watch committee and justices when acting off the premises; and not more than six could be appointed in any one town or city. Even "God's Wonderful Railway" was not completely trusted!

Power to follow and arrest was granted in 1899 and in 1912 the limitation on numbers was re-moved. This opened the way, in 1918, for the unification of the special and traffic police into one body under Mr J. H. MATTHEWS who had been the company's senior detective officer since 1912. He was designated Chief of Police and was the first of only three persons to hold that post for Mr George STEPHENS took over from him in 1936 and was, in turn, succeeded 10 year's later by Mr Arthur LANE who held office at the time of nationalisation.

Amalgamating the two kinds of police on the GWR had, apparently, been advocated for a number of years and, indeed, most other companies already operated unified forces, several of them having carried out reorganisations to that effect in the first year or two of the century. When the Western finally carried out this measure it was thus long overdue. Not all the uniformed men could meet the requirements of the new Force but those who could were accepted, sworn in, granted standard rates of pay and for the first time came under a purely police chain of command.

THE FINAL YEARS

The Railways Act 1921 did not kill the GWR Police. Instead of amalgamating with two or more major railways, the Great Western merely absorbed some docks and minor companies and, like its police, lived on very much as before. Alone of the four new main line forces, the Great Western Police wore the crown in their badge originally granted by Queen Victoria for services rendered and they alone remained special constables for they continued to be appointed under the 1877 Act. The other forces were new bodies and could not inherit the privilege of wearing the crown earned by some of their constituents. On the other hand, being new organisations, fresh statutory authority was necessary to deal with their appointment and the term "special" was dropped from the provisions relating to railway constables.

In 1939 the establishment was:

HQ	17
Superintendents	5
Inspectors (uniform and CID)	26
Detective Sergeants	19
Sergeants	21
Detectives and constables	261
Total	350

There was no rank of Chief Inspector and the Superintendents were officially known as "divisional police officers" presumably to avoid confusion with the superintendent of the line and other railway superintendents.

There were five Divisions:

LONDON DIVISION

BRISTOL DIVISON

BIRMINGHAM DIVISION

CARDIFF DIVISION

DOCKS DIVISION

Each of the Divisions was divided into districts, 24 in all. Later the officers in charge of a number of detached one-man posts were made inspectors (class III). It was thought that although they had no men under their control, the status was desirable in view of the extra responsibility and the fact that they were the chief's sole representatives in quite considerable areas.

World War II was a busy one for the Force. The chief was appointed Air Raid Precautions Officer and Chief Fireguard for the company and large numbers of temporary police were recruited to guard the docks and other "Protected Places" and "Vulnerable Points" on the system. Ordinary police work could not be neglected for war-time shortages caused pilfering and larger scale thefts of merchandise in transit, passengers' luggage and company stores to reach alarming proportions. In 1942, for example, there were some 3,109 prosecutions, including 1,198 for theft.

The Great Western Railway Police war effort was, in fact, their swan song. In 1945 a government came to power with a manifesto which included the nationalisation of the railways. The Transport Act 1947 became effective on 1 January 1948 and in the following year the British Transport Police was formed from the existing railway forces.

THE LMS RAILWAY POLICE (1923 - 1948)

The LMS Railway Police were the only pre-nationalisation force to number its various Divisions. Prior to nationalisation the LMS Railway Police had its headquarters at London Euston station.

The Divisions were:

"A" (LONDON DIVISION)

Euston (Divisional Headquarters)
St Pancras
Camden
Broad Street
Willesden
Southend

"B" (BIRMINGHAM DIVISION)

New Street Birmingham (Divisional Headquarters)
Curzon Street Birmingham
Bristol
Swansea
Derby
Leicester
Nottingham

"C" (LEEDS DIVISION)

Leeds City Station (Divisional Headquarters)
Sheffield
Bradford
Carlisle
Heysham Harbour
Huddersfield
Barrow
Belfast

"D" (MANCHESTER DIVISION)

Manchester New Bridge Street (Divisional Headquarters)
Blackpool
Crewe
Preston
Wyre Dock (Fleetwood)

"E" (LIVERPOOL DIVISION)

Liverpool Lime Street (Divisional Headquarters)
Chester
Holyhead
Dublin

"F" (GLASGOW DIVISION)

Glasgow Central (Divisional Headquarters)
Buchanan Street
Kilmarnock
Perth
Edinburgh

The Second World War was the swansong of the Big Four railway police forces. In 1945 a government came to power with a manifesto which included the nationalisation of the railways. The Transport Act 1947 became effective on 1 January 1948 and in the following year the British Transport Police was formed from the existing railway forces.

THE LNER RAILWAY POLICE (1923 - 1948)

The LNER was formed from:

Great Eastern Railway
Great Central Railway
Great Northern Railway
Great North of Scotland Railway
Hull and Barnsley Railway
North British Railway
North Eastern Railways

The North Eastern Railway was the largest and most successful of the constituent companies. All of these companies had Railway Police Forces. The LNER Police was one of the largest Police Forces in the Country. It had its Headquarters at York. It had three Areas, North-Eastern, Scottish and Southern, each split into Divisions headed by a Superintendent.

NORTH EASTERN AREA (Headquarters at Newcastle)

Northern Division

Newcastle (Divisional HQ)
Sunderland
West Hartlepool

Southern Division

York (Divisional Headquarters)
Darlington
Middlesbrough
Leeds

Eastern Division

Hull (Divisional HQ)

SCOTTISH AREA (Headquarters at Edinburgh)

Scottish Division

Edinburgh
Glasgow
Dundee
Dunfirmline

SOUTHERN AREA (Headquarters at Wellers Court, Pancras Road, London NW1.)

London Division

Kings Cross (Divisional HQ)
Farringdon Street
Marylebone
Liverpool Street
Bishopsgate
Stratford

Sheffield Division

Sheffield (Divisional HQ)
Manchester
Bradford
Nottingham
Leicester

Grimsby Division

Grimsby (Divisional HQ)
Grimsby Docks
Doncaster
Peterborough

Cambridge Division

Cambridge (Divisonal HQ)
Ipswich
Norwich
Parkeston Quay

On Nationalisation the LNER became the Eastern Region of British Railways and the LNER Police became part of the new British Transport Commission Police.

THE SOUTHERN RAILWAY POLICE (1923 - 1948)

The Southern Railway, unlike the other three large railway companies, did not rely on freight for income. It made its money from both the commuter and holiday market. It had seven mainline termini in London and was one of the first to electrify its lines. Just prior to nationalisation the Southern Railway Police had it's Headquarters at London Waterloo and had seven Divisions:

WATERLOO DIVISION

VICTORIA DIVISION

LONDON GOODS DIVISON

SOUTHAMPTON DIVISON

BRIGHTON DIVISION

DOVER DIVISION

EXETER DIVISION

THE LONDON TRANSPORT POLICE (1934 - 1958)

The Early Years

The first of London's underground railways was the Metropolitan Line between Farringdon and Bishops Road, Paddington, opened in 1863. The steam engines were provided by the Great Western Railway (GWR), which had employed Constables since that railway was constructed in the early 1800's. From 1863 until the Metropolitan Railway became part of the London Passenger Transport Board empire there was an interchange of staff between the two railways. Indeed the last but one Station Master at Baker Street Station to wear a top hat on duty, Mr TREASURER, was a former GWR man.

The Metropolitan Company, jointly with the GWR, extended its line to Hammersmith with a branch to Addison Road (Olympia), known as the Hammersmith and City Line. The GWR ran goods trains to Smithfield Meat Market and also onto the Southern Railways by way Farringdon and Blackfriars and later over the East London Line.

There is some evidence that the early Police for the Metropolitan Railway came from the GWR. A Chief Inspector of the Metropolitan Force had an office at the first Metropolitan Railways Headquarters close to Paddington Station.
The Constables employed by the Metropolitan Company enjoyed "Main Line" (that is GWR) rates of pay and conditions of service, and their department was ranged with the Claims Department under the Company Secretary and legal Advisor. This situation continued until 1934.

It is recorded that in 1880, Chief Inspector GOSDEN of the Metropolitan Railway Police and Inspector LITTLECHILD of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner's Office travelled to New York and on to Philadelphia to arrest and bring back to England a Mr TAPSON, the secretary and treasurer of the Metropolitan Railway Provident Savings Bank who had decamped following defalcations amounting to £10,000. A similar case involving the same bank was dealt with by the London Transport Police on 1940. The then secretary and treasurer was found in the West Country by Detective William SWEETING.

The other Police establishments to eventually become part of the London Transport Force started with the building of the other London Underground railways. The significant dates are:

1864 Hammersmith and City Line
1865 Metropolitan Line extended to Moorgate
1868 Opening of the District Railway from High Street Kensington to Gloucester Road and Westminster.
1869 East London Line opened between Wapping and New Cross
1877 District Railway trains begin to run over the London and South Western tracks to Richmond.
1879 District Railway extended from Turnham Green to Ealing.
Metropolitan and St Johns Wood railway extended from Swiss Cottage to Willesden Green and the following year to Harrow
1883 District Railway: Acton Town to Hounslow opened and the following year extended to Hounslow Barracks (now Hounslow West)
1884 Inner Circle line completed between Aldgate and Mansion House - joint Metropolitan and District railway
1885-9 The Metropolitan Railway extended from Harrow to Aylesbury. Later became the
Metropolitan and Great Central Joint Railway
1890 City and South London tube railway opened between King William Street and Stockwell; (now part if the Northern Line)
1900 Opening of the first section of the Central London Railway from Shepherds Bush to Bank
1902 Incorporation of the "Underground Electric Railways Company of London Ltd"., which took over the Metropolitan District Traction Company and built Lots Road generating station at Chelsea;
1904 Great Northern and City Railway opened between Moorgate and Finsbury Park;
1906 Bakerloo Line opened between Baker Street and Elephant and Castle;
1907 Hampstead Line opened from Charing Cross to Highgate and Golders Green;
1910 Bakerloo, Piccadilly and Hampstead Lines merged into the London Electric Railway Company;
1933 London Passenger Transport Board established by Act of Parliament.

As each of the new railways were built, they were granted parliamentary powers, these included a section giving Magistrates authority to swear in Constables to police the railway lines and premises. These officers could act as such on the property of the railway and in respect of any offence which affected the railway, such as stone throwing or showing a light in such a way as to cause a train to be obstructed.

They could also follow and arrest any person who had committed an arrestable offence on, or in connection with the railway anywhere in the

United Kingdom

, except

Scotland

, without an arrest warrant. Later, in the 1960's, any Constable, including those of the London Transport, was empowered to arrest a person reasonably suspected of having committed an offence against the railway by laws, whose name and address was unknown and could not be ascertained. This was in response to the serious increase in crimes of violence affecting passengers and staff on London's railways. This act was also extended to cover the Public Service Vehicle regulations applied to Public Service Vehicles on the roads or on London Transport premises.

London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB)

The London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) had been established the previous year by Act of Parliament and Section 107 of the LPTB Act of 1934 authorised Magistrates to appoint Constables. Recruits took the usual form of oath to serve the Crown, and they enjoyed all the powers, protections and privileges of a Constable at Common Law, together with those extra powers given to railway officers by the various railway Acts of Parliament. They were so sworn and appointed on the application of the LPTB usually at the Westminster Police Court - as it was then known.

In 1934 staff in the Police Superintendent's Office covered many administrative matters which could hardly be termed 'police work'. However, it was true that a similar position existed in many City and Borough Forces.

These extra duties included receiving and checking reports relating to unpaid fares, also writing letters to the passengers concerned, in the name of the Railway Operating Manager, requesting payment and cost of postage. Other work included:

Compiling a summary of the previous days accidents involving passengers and staff, for signature by the Operating Manager and submission to the Ministry of Transport;
Authorising the storage of staff cycles at railway stations without charge;
The release of cloakroom deposits to ex-prisoners without payment (these usually consisted of workmen's tools)
Preparing reports for the Ministry about broken axles from information provided by the rolling stock engineer.

Eventually these extra matters were taken over by other departments of the Board.

Constables had first been appointed in connection with railway undertakings when these were being constructed in the early 1800's. The gangs of 'navvies', who had previously been used to construct the canals, went on to build the railways. They were a rough crowd and, as the rail head progressed through the countryside, the people living in the towns and villages felt threatened, especially on pay days when the gangs descended upon the local ale houses. The situation reached a stage where Parliament required the builders to pay for Constables to police the navvies, not only on the railway but also to be in support of the local 'Watch' or 'Constable'.

After the railways were constructed, the Railway Constables were required to protect the railway, provide for the safety of passengers, luggage and goods and also act as signalmen until such time as a system of signalling, operated by signalmen, came into use. Even in 1934, on the Metropolitan and Great Central line out to Aylesbury and beyond a signalman was known as the 'Constable' or 'Bobby'.

In April 1934 under the powers granted in the LPTB Act of that year, Percy SMITH, Superintendent of the Metropolitan Railway Police Force took command of all the various police and security units of the undertakings absorbed by the new board, except the Security Department of the London County Council Tramways whose pay and conditions of service were way ahead of Police pay and conditions at that time.

It was not long before the road services, bus, coach and tramways and the various engineering departments of the Board were seeking assistance from the new Force. Requests, which were welcomed by Superintendent SMITH who was then able to increase the police strength and take on further civilian help.

Although the railways General Manager, J. P. THOMAS, had little time for the railway police, he was reluctant to have them removed from his Department. There was also the problem of certain Station Masters on the District Line, especially at Victoria and Charing Cross Stations who resented the fact that their control of the Police Constables had been lost. However, patient attention to duties and professionalism of the new Force soon became appreciated and Superintendent SMITH received letters of thanks for assistance given by his officers with the control of passenger traffic, not only in the peaks but also for football matches at Waltham Green, Arsenal, Tottenham and Wembley; cricket at Lords and the Oval; and later with King George V's Jubilee, then his lying in state at Westminster followed by the Coronation of King George VI. All these and many other events caused great crowds to assemble in London, which resulted in overcrowding on the underground railways in the central area.

From 1934 the London Transport Force was supported by uniformed Travelling Ticket Inspectors sworn in as Constables. All railway operating staff down to the grade of Station Foreman had also been sworn in as Constables. These people were looked upon as being 'Special Constables' and received basic police training.

In early 1939 it was clear that war with Germany was likely and plans were made. Some members of the London Transport Force being on the reserve were called to the colours and Superintendent SMITH turned to the Police Pensioners Association for help, a number of these retired officers stayed in the Force after the war.

The London Transport Police first manned 'War Posts' at Baker Street, Charing Cross and Elephant and Castle stations where they were joined by the Travelling Ticket Inspectors acting as special constables.

It had been the intention of the Government that the tube railway stations would not be used as air raid shelters, but when the raids started on London, the Londoners decided otherwise, so the London Transport Police became involved with the problems relating to the shelters. Nothing had been done to help or control them. They placed their bedding on the platforms and subways.

Eventually J. P. THOMAS, who had retired, was called back to look after the shelters and also London Transport's interests. Regulations were drawn up, bunks erected, refreshment service arranged, First Aid posts manned and toilets installed. By the end of September 1940, 175,000 people sheltered at the deep level tube stations, and by early 1941 bunk beds had been installed at 79 stations.

London Transport Police Officers attended stations that had been bombed to help passengers, shelterers and staff and protect property. These included Bank, Sloane Square, Balham, Covent Garden and many others. Most Police Officers worked a twelve-hour day, with one day off each two weeks.

Apart from the railways, the Force was also involved in detective duties in connection with London Aircraft Productions Limited (an LT offshoot), which built Halifax bombers at Chiswick, Aldenham and Leavesden Airport, until the RAF Regiment took over.

When peace came the Force resumed the normal role. Again special events caused crowds to come into London but the central area stations were not up to dealing with the extra traffic - even that which used the railway at daily peak times caused problems of congestion. Many of the stations needed urgent modernisation, escalators were worn out, ticket halls and circulating areas too small. The Police and operating staff devised systems of crowd control at most of the stations which resulted in there being one way in and another out, with emergency exits manned. Special arrangements were made at certain stations, such as Oxford Circus, Bond Street, Charing Cross (now Embankment), Bank, Kings Cross and London Bridge, Wembley Park, Arsenal, Mansion House and Kennington.

The London Transport Police unit was divided into two divisions, North and South. North Divisional Office was at first at Baker Street, then St. Pancras Chambers and South at 55 Broadway and later at Lambeth North. The Central Line was the boundary between South and North. Out stations were established at Rickmansworth and later at Upton Park.

British Transport Commission (BTC)

In 1948 the British Transport Commission formed on the nationalisation of the railways. It had the following divisions:

- Railway Executive

- Hotels Executive

- Docks & Inland Waterways Executive

- Road Passenger Executive

- Road Haulage Executive

- London Transport Executive

In 1947 the British Transport Commission was set up by Parliament with its first offices at 55 Broadway, Westminster, and the Commission became responsible for all public transport in the U.K., with the exception of taxi-cabs and air services.

However, although the London Transport police were re-sworn as British Transport Commission Constables, as were all the special constables employed by London Transport, they remained under the control of Percy SMITH, who reported direct to the new London Transport Executive. The London Transport Executive remained the Paymaster and Quartermaster for the London Transport Police. Percy SMITH was appointed Chief of Police by the Executive.

British Transport Police (BTP)

The London Transport Police Force only became part of the British Transport Commission's Police Force in December 1958, over ten years after the British Transport Commission was established. But the London Transport Police unit continued to provide a police service to all departments of the London Transport Executive.

In 1962 the British Transport Commission is abolished and its activities separated off into various public corporations.

- Railway Executive > British Railways Board

- Hotels Executive > British Transport Hotels

- Docks & Inland Waterways Executive is split

- Docks > British Transport Docks Board

- Inland Waterways > British Waterways Board

- Road Passenger Executive > Transport Holding Company

- Road Haulage Executive > British Road Services

- London Transport Executive > London Transport Board

In 1963 the British Transport Commission was abolished and London Transport became an autonomous London Transport Board. Meanwhile the London Transport Police division became an Area of the British Transport Police Force. Thus as an Area of British Transport Police, between 1963 and 1974, the London Transport Police unit continued to give good service to London Transport, its staff and passengers. Even today the Police serving London Transport's successor "Transport for London" continue to be an integral part of British Transport Police.