MP calls for inquiry into the great Brunstrom ‘break in’

Aug 7 2008 by Richard Evans, North Wales Weekly News

AN MP has demanded an inquiry into allegations that North Wales Police press office lied over the reason the chief constable broke into his own office at Colwyn Bay headquarters.

David Jones wants an investigation after Richard Brunstrom climbed scaffolding and got in through a window while the police HQ was undergoing refurbishment in December last year, claiming he was testing the building’s security.

Now a national newspaper says it has obtained details through the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) which shows the police chief broke into his own HQ because of a problem with his key-fob.

At the time a police spokesman passed off the incident as a spirited stunt to breach security.

But a Sunday newspaper claims documents obtained under FOI reveal the incident occurred on December 1 – two weeks before it was reported.

It says the FOI reveals Mr Brunstrom tried to get into the police HQ but was denied access due to a fault on the fob system. Because it was a Saturday there were no reception staff so the police chief scaled the scaffolding and got in through a window.

The newspaper reports that the papers also suggest records of correspondence between Mr Brunstrom and his press chiefs were destroyed the same day the media enquired about the incident.

Clwyd West MP David Jones has now written to North Wales Police Authority demanding answers.

“Is it indeed the case that the chief constable effected entry to the building by scaling the scaffolding not to test security, but because of problems with his fob,” he wrote. “If so, why was the incident presented as an attempt to test security?”

A spokesman for North Wales Police Authority said the incident would not be pursued: “The matter was referred to the Professional Standards Committee on January 30,” he said. “After being given a full explanation of the circumstances, including the fact the key-fob was not working, members decided no further action was needed.”