We are (illegal) beggars

In the last blog I reported that Declan and I were being forced into (illegal) begging. Alas, we have been illegal beggars for four days now and I can tell you we are not having a whale of a time. Not to be outdone, two days ago the Bishopsgate City of London police threatened us with immediate arrest and custody pending a court appearance the next time either one of us is caught begging. That seems to me a bit prejudicial: the beggar we call “the Crutch” – for obvious reasons – and at least 3 or 4 other homeless are always begging, not just in Liverpool Street Station (outside of which we have our respective pitches where we sell The Big Issue magazine) but in the streets about the station.

Anyway, it’s not like we have a choice. On Thursday evening we sold no Big Issues at all and so I had to again run the gauntlet in the station until I could put together a few pounds. Yesterday morning Declan had to walk off his pitch (for a litany of the sort of difficulties we encounter selling the Big Issue see here) because the homeless with the supermarket trolley was back sleeping on the ground to one side of him: another example of the Bishopsgate police’s willingness to turn a blind eye despite the trendy hotel overhead. I hadn’t sold anything either, so we again had to go into the station and while Declan was keeping an eye on me I went downstairs and approached people – my line: “I’m terrible sorry to bother you, can you help me with some change, please?” It’s imperative we somehow manage to scrape the money together to buy two coats expediently, or at least one for Declan (he was hospitalised last December with pneumonia and on 2 August had to attend the local Accident & Emergency department where he was treated for an upper respiratory tract infection).

After being threatened with a criminal record on 13 September, that afternoon Declan sent the following letter by registered post to the Registrar of the European Court of Human Rights:

Application no. 22541/07
Heavey v. the United Kingdom

                                RULE 41-URGENT

Dear Sir/Madam

In reference to my urgent request for expedition under Rule 41 of the European Convention on Human Rights made on 8 September 2007 (with particular regard to the reasons cited for the necessity of expedition), I enclose for the attention of the Court copy of my letter and enclosure of today’s date to Chief Superintendent Ken Stewart of Bishopsgate Police Station regarding my (illegal) begging this morning.

Please note that under the heading “Necessity of expedition”, the aforementioned urgent request for expedition states the following:

An urgent expedition is necessary in this instance because of the violations of the applicant's human rights already existing and are likely to be even greater. The right that will be violated is the right to private and family life by the threat to the applicant of being severely assaulted, becoming seriously ill and/or being reduced to begging. This would constitute a threat of irreparable and serious harm. Being reduced to begging is a threat that is imminent given that the applicant’s savings have already been exhausted.

Yours faithfully

Declan Heavey

Enc

And this is the enclosed letter to Chief Superintendent Ken Stewart (without its enclosure):

Dear CS Stewart

My (illegal) begging

I refer to my conversation this afternoon with PC 809C at Bishopsgate Police Station regarding my (illegal) begging in Liverpool Street Station this morning.

I understand that the next time either my wife or I are caught begging that we may be subject to immediate arrest and custody pending a court appearance.

In reference to my letter and enclosure to you of 5 September 2007 regarding Crime Reference No. 7221/07, I enclose copy of chronology in respect of my efforts to have the suspect prosecuted/convicted.

Yours sincerely

Declan Heavey

Enc

cc  The Registrar, European Court of Human Rights (by registered
      post – together with enclosure herein referred to)

We are also being squeezed in other ways. Take for example the porch we sleep in at night. For the last two nights we have slept under the flashing blue light of the porch alarm – the last time we were treated to a full weekend of this flashing light was at the end of July. Last night, at 8.30pm, two employees came out of the office building through the porch door as we were unpacking our things and although they stayed in the porch while one of them was digging for something in his pocket, they didn’t seem to notice the flashing light. The cleaner arrived at 8.35pm – and out at 8.45pm – and she didn’t notice it either. It was also missed by the two police officers on horses that questioned us in the porch on 1 July (Bishopsgate police’s ninth visit) and on 10 August (eleventh) when they passed by the porch at 9.00pm. Oh well, it sure looks like tonight we will be treated to more of the same.

The British government, as a High Contracting Party of the European Convention on Human Rights, is proving disinclined, in our case, to comply with its obligations under Article 34, which establishes a duty on Convention states not to hinder the effective exercise of the right to apply to the European Court. The Court has frequently emphasised that it is of the utmost importance for the effective operation of the system of individual petition that applicants or potential applicants should be able to communicate freely with the Court.

It wouldn’t take Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery of the interest group behind this extraordinary hunting – perhaps it’s not a coincidence that we have been barred from the Methodist Church-run Whitechapel Mission by the minister’s wife due to concerns about our safety? That I haven’t been able to grab a shower for well over a month in the, er, Sisters of Mercy-run Dellow Centre? Granted, NAC is running a campaign against Magdalene Laundries in Asia and Africa that is not very flattering to the Sisters of Mercy. Whoops.

Perhaps an explanation for the Vatican’s pursuance of as much political clout as it can get – the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with 174 states and in 2004 its rights as a Permanent Observer in the United Nations were strengthened by the General Assembly – is Christopher Hitchens’s four irreducible objections to religious faith: “that it wholly misrepresents the origins of man and the cosmos, that because of this original error it manages to combine the maximum of servility with the maximum of solipsism, that it is both the result and the cause of dangerous sexual repression, and that it is ultimately grounded on wish-thinking”.

The Catholic Church, in particular, has a very accurate perception of what is good for itself and the hierarchy never tires of letting the world know what an important role it plays in humanitarian interventions and how often its agencies are one of the few to be able to quickly reach people in need. A few months ago the satirical Private Eye wrote a small article on former advertising executive Steven Hilton, which stated: “Hilton told Coca Cola and Nike that the way to avoid bad publicity was to embrace social responsibility whole heartily. A few token good works would just be ‘icing on shit’ as he charmingly put it.” I wonder where Hilton looked for his inspiration.

Anything goes

Having endured a torrid month – you can read the draconian measures we were treated to for the whole of August here – we are now witnessing an enthusiastic “anything goes”.

If Declan’s urgent request for expedition of 8 September to the European Court of Human Rights was granted (Declan’s main application of 8 September can be read here), it is not beyond the realms of possibility that things could be resolved in just a few months. For example, the case of Papon v France was expedited by the Court under rule 41 of the Convention because of the advance age and ill-health of the applicant in prison. The case was lodged on 12 January 2001 and on 23 January the Court asked the respondent Government to submit information and comments about the applicant’s conditions and regime.

However, the British government must be too busy at the moment – no time to fix a loophole in the law relating to jobseeker’s allowance either – and so why not take us out instead of having to dilly-dally with a response?

We need not speculate about where we are supposed to be in a month’s time. For example, yesterday afternoon I had just arrived at my pitch (where I sell The Big Issue magazine everyday) when this worker comes along with a ladder and tells me – in as provocative a manner as possible – that I have to leave. With some difficulty I establish that I can come back in ten minutes, which I do, only to find that he has left two ladders behind him on my pitch. I can recognise skulduggery when I see it, so I squeeze myself and my bags inside the small space I’ve got between the two ladders. Of course, I didn’t sell a single magazine and had to leave in the end. Declan also had trouble: the regular London Lite distributor was apparently trying to be as antagonistic as possible, despite Declan’s most recent letter of complaint to the head of The London Paper and also to its owner, Rupert Murdoch. What was the objective? Well, we think that if Declan had said something to him, the London Lite may have put in a complaint to The Big Issue and Declan could have been de-badged. Eventually Declan too walked off his pitch, having sold, well, nothing.

Later on as we were passing the Salvation Army’s men’s hostel on Whitechapel Road – a horrendous building with more than 200 homeless sleeping in it (a non-option for Declan anyway, since his benefit was terminated) – I saw the homeless woman that assaulted me in the Methodist Church-run Whitechapel Mission on 18 June for the first time since that day. I actually didn’t recognise her at all until she and her mates began screaming like they were sitting in a Roman amphitheatre watching a gladiatorial combat. Apparently they were screaming at me. Oops.

Anyway, things today are not improving. For whatever reason Declan didn’t sell any Big Issues this morning – perhaps it didn’t help that some homeless with one of these supermarket trolleys was sleeping on the ground just to one side of him. I only made a few pounds, which means that tomorrow I could very well be starting a new career as an (illegal) beggar.

Whether it’s hunger or cold (this morning at 5.30am we were the only ones walking the street without coats) that will finish us off is anyone’s guess. Oh, Declan was informed by a very high profile humanist yesterday afternoon that he found Declan’s invitation to become an honorary associate of NAC in his spam box. So there: we can’t even reach out for support.

I may as well come straight out with it: I am no fan of religion. In fact, it is my opinion that by the time you are into adulthood you really ought to have mastered your relationship with the outside world to the extent that you don’t pine for soft clichés and fuddy-duddy rules. Nonetheless, yesterday Viennese people, who had congregated outside St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, had the exciting experience of hearing the Pope urging them “to create oases of selfless love in a world where so often only power and wealth seem to count”. No wonder public turn-outs during his three-day visit to Austria were lower than expected.

Assault and bar in the Whitechapel Mission

This morning at 6.50am I was assaulted in the canteen of the Methodist-run Whitechapel Mission by a homeless woman … then at 9.30am the manager (she is the wife of the Director, Minister Tony Miller) informs Declan and me, in front of two police officers, that we are barred from the premises due to concerns about our safety.

We actually should have known something was up because last night at 10.30pm, while we were sleeping in the porch, two employees entered the office building by the porch (very unusual) and this morning one did the same at 5.05am, 15 minutes before we get up (a first).

Anyway, this homeless woman threw a full roll of industrial kitchen paper at me, one end of the cardboard tube hitting me above the eye. She had already, while I was waiting for Declan to come back from the washroom, pushed me against the wall, thrown a cup of coffee at my feet, called Declan and me all kinds of unmentionables and put her fist to my face and told me she was going to kill me. (A reason? Can’t think of one: I have never talked to her before!)

All of this happened just a few feet away from the kitchen counter, but did any of the kitchen staff take notice of this homeless woman’s shouts and anti-social behaviour? Apparently not. And this homeless was obviously emboldened by the carte blanche too, because the pushing against the wall and the throwing of the industrial roll happened right in front of a kitchen worker who had come out to mop up the coffee at my feet.

When we called into Bethnal Green Police Station, we were told to go back to the Mission and wait for police officers to turn up – which we duly did. After we gave a second account of the assault and a description of this particular homeless woman to two police officers in the manager's office, in came the manager to tell us that due to concerns about our safety she was barring us from the premises.

There was no changing her mind, not when Declan reminded her that there is no other place for us wash and change our clothes before 9.30am (we sell The Big Issue in Liverpool Street most weekdays from 7.30am to 9.00am), nor when he pointed out that the European Court of Human Rights has the Whitechapel Mission as our care of address.

I can see the writing on the wall: unless I bring Declan’s application to the European Court of Human Rights to a finish over the next few days (our introductory letter can be found here), more incidents like this are likely to occur. It raises the question, the Department for Work and Pensions can act as unlawfully as it pleases, but can we exercise our right to submit our case to the European Court?

Declan is not letting the barring go (he is now seeking re-admittance), and will write to Andrew Hind, CEO of the Charity Commission. This afternoon he sent this registered letter to Minister Miller:

Dear Minister Miller

Re:   CCTV footage (Crime ref: 4204886/07), bar and care of address

In reference to the assault on me in the canteen of the Whitechapel Mission on 17 February 2007 (Crime ref: 4204886/07), I hereby request your confirmation or otherwise that there is CCTV footage of the incident for a prosecution/conviction.

I enclose copy of letter of today’s date from the Dellow Centre confirming that I can use the Centre as a care of address, which was formally the Whitechapel Mission.

I also enclose copy of my letter and enclosures of 12 June 2007 to the head of the Methodist church in the UK, Rev Graham Carter, regarding harassment and intimidation in the Whitechapel Mission.

I can confirm that this morning my wife was assaulted in the canteen of the Whitechapel Mission and, with two police officers from Bethnal Green Police Station present, my wife and I were barred by your wife, Mrs Sue Miller, Whitechapel Mission Day Centre Manager.

I note that you run a website called “Whitechapel Mission” (http://www.whitechapel.org.uk) and that off the homepage the “Latest Annual Review available” states the following:

Whitechapel is all about a promise – we promise that whatever mess your life maybe in, whomever else may have let you down, at 6am tomorrow morning our doors will open and you will receive a warm welcome. We will not bar you or exclude you. If your behaviour is not acceptable you will be asked to leave, but will be welcome back the next day.

I understand from Mrs Miller that my wife and I have been barred indefinitely from the Whitechapel Mission for our own safety because this morning I “grassed on a client” of the Mission, in what was described by PC Mussell (193 HT) as a “common assault and section 5 [of the Public Order Act 1986] public order offence”.

Yours sincerely

Declan Heavey

Encs

cc  Jerry Savill, Chief Superintendent, Bethnal Green Police Station
      Rev Graham Carter, President of the Methodist Conference
      Andrew Hind, CEO, Charity Commission

Letter on behalf of the trustees of the Methodist Church in Tower Hamlets

Last Thursday Declan received a letter from Superintendent Minister Peter Powers on behalf of the trustees of the Methodist Church in Tower Hamlets regarding the harassment and intimidation Declan is being subjected to in the Whitechapel Mission – some of which I report in this blog almost all the time. This is the letter (my favourite bit is at the end, where he says he is simply saddened by Declan’s “cynicism”):

Dear Mr Heavey

Thank you for your letters of 24th & 28th April and many enclosures. Although you have not actually asked for response to me I have noted the contents of your letters.

I have spoken to Mr. Tony Miller, Director of the Whitechapel Mission and he has assured me that every care possible is taken of all those who work or volunteer at the Mission as well as those who visit the Whitechapel Mission. This is as I would expect.

It is indeed unfortunate that you feel you have been subject to “harassment and intimidation” whilst using the Whitechapel Mission’s services, although I note that your difficulties seem to be with one particular other person who also uses the Mission’s services rather than with any staff or volunteers. Obviously we cannot control the actions of everyone who comes to use the Whitechapel Mission and any incidents of assault should be reported to the police, which it seems you have already done. I cannot comment on the actions or response of the police in this matter that is for them.

The work of the Whitechapel Mission is part of the Methodist Church help offered to the some of those in most need in society. We see it as part of our Christian faith to help those in need if we can. The services provided by the Whitechapel Mission are open to anyone who comes, both those who are homeless, such as yourself, and those who are vulnerably housed in insecure or temporary accommodation. I see that in addition to the showers and breakfast offered you also use the postal address service provided by the Mission.

I note that you run a blog on the internet called ‘Network of those Abused by Church’ (http://network-of-those-abused-by-church.blogspot.com/). What I find interesting is the fact that you appear to run an organisation that calls for the separation of church and state and for public policies that are based on secular principles, not religious doctrine. You seek the “scientific, rational examination of religion to protect future generations from the ignorance so often fostered by religion hiding behind doctrinal smoke screens”. Clearly you have some issues with the Church and yet it is the Christian Church, not the secular state that seems to be offering you support and help. In fact, it is many of the secular institutions that you appear to have problems with and continue to cause difficulties for you. Can I point out that the Whitechapel Mission raises all its own funds for the work it does and receives no state funding whatsoever. It simply saddens me that your cynicism can’t actually see beyond the smoke screen you appear to have made for yourself.

Yours sincerely,

Rev. Peter Powers
On behalf of the trustees of the Methodist Church in Tower Hamlets

Cc. Mr. Tony Miller, Whitechapel Mission
      Rev. R. Graham Carter, President of the Methodist Conference

Rev Powers should perhaps be informed that the director of the Whitechapel Mission, who he refers to as “Mr” Tony Miller, is, er, a minister – how do I know that? I looked him up on the internet. There are other things he also gets wrong, like the showers and the breakfast he says we use in the Whitechapel Mission.

Take showers. Declan has never showered in the mission because men shower communally. There is one shower in the women’s washroom, which I would be using if it wasn’t for the fact that there has been no hot water since 22 April (a first), at least not from 6.00am to 6.35am.

Take breakfast. After narrowly escaping being assaulted for the second time on 16 April – he brought it on himself for not talking to the homeless that visit the premises, was the view taken by the kitchen worker who intervened – he left the table with our bags to a chorus of derisive shouts and laughter from homeless about the canteen. Since that most pleasant experience, we don’t sit at a table anymore. We wash (bringing our bags with us to our respective washrooms); have a coffee standing up; and by 6.50am we are out – breakfast doesn’t kick off until 8.00am, seven days a week.

Anyway, on Thursday and Friday Declan wrote to the head of the Methodist Church in the UK, Rev Graham Carter on the subject of all the harassment and intimidation in the Whitechapel Mission, which is on-going. This is the second letter, sent by registered post (Carter's letter to Declan of 20 April can be seen here):

Dear Rev Carter

Re:  Harassment and intimidation in the Whitechapel Mission

I refer further to the enclosed copy of your letter to me of 20 April and re-enclose copy of letter to me of 8 May from Superintendent Minister Peter Powers on behalf of the trustees of the Methodist Church in Tower Hamlets regarding the above.

I also re-enclose copy of my letter and enclosures of 5 May to Chief Superintendent Jerry Savill of Bethnal Green Police Station requesting in pursuance of section 8(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, a copy of the statement that was written on my behalf by Detective Constable Alexander Head in Bethnal Green Police Station on 27 April in respect of the unprovoked assault on me in the Whitechapel Mission on 17 February.

I reconfirm that on 16 April I narrowly escaped being assaulted for the second time in the Whitechapel Mission. On this occasion, as first stated in my letter to you of 17 April, the kitchen worker who intervened took the view that it was my fault for not talking to the homeless that visit the premises. (That this was the view taken, would be evident from CCTV footage.)

Although I was informed by the manager of the Whitechapel Mission on 17 February that I enter the premises at my own risk, I remain adamant that this ought not to be the case. Again, I understand that if a visitor is invited onto the institution’s premises then a common duty of care will be owed by the institution to the visitor. This is to ensure that the visitor will be reasonably safe in the premises for the purposes for which he has been invited or permitted.

On 9 May, I met with DC Head in Bethnal Green Police Station for a crime report update in respect of the assault on me on 17 February. As stated in my letter to you of 10 May, DC Head advised that he had spoken with the Director of the Whitechapel Mission, Minister Tony Miller, who confirmed to him that he was aware of what took place and the name of the suspect, but not that the canteen worker who intervened will be a corroborating witness, nor that there is CCTV footage of the assault.

Yesterday morning, DC Head left a voice message for me (see transcript attached) stating that he has spoken again with Minister Miller, who confirmed to him that there are no corroborating witnesses, but not that there is CCTV footage of the assault.

As first stated in my letter to you of 5 May, Minister Miller advised me on 1 May that in a matter of days I would be in receipt of a letter from the management of the Whitechapel Mission in response to the questions raised herein. I can confirm that I am in receipt of no such letter to date.

Yours sincerely

Declan Heavey

And this, the transcript attached:

Crime Ref: 4204886/07

Voice message of 10 May (11.03am) from DC Alexander Head of Bethnal Green Police Station
_______________________________________________________________

Good morning, Declan. It’s Alex speaking from Bethnal Green Police Station. Just to let you know – I’ve spoken to Sue and Tony. They have stated to me they have spoken to all their staff members. None of them can remember an incident involving yourself taking place. Whether that is the case – whether they just do not want to come forward and speak to police, that probably sounds like the more reason behind itself. So I’ve updated the crime in regards to that. Obviously we now have no corroborating evidence, unless yourself can get any further regarding writing your letters, and such like. What I’m going to do is – the crime is completely updated with what has taken place and our meetings and everything else. What I will do is, just for the time being – is close the crime, but it can be re-opened if anything else comes to light and we can have corroborating evidence to try and take this to court. Thank you very much. If you want to give me a call back, that’s fine – or if you want to come in, it’s not a problem either. Thank you very much. Bye bye.

So, case closed, more or less. How nice! Anyway, now that it looks like the Whitechapel Mission is not being too cooperative on the prosecution front, a decent interval may have to pass before there is an attempt to assault Declan in the place again. Which can only mean that all eyes are now on the only other place where an assault can take place: the porch. Well, wasn’t I dragged from the porch while sleeping on 5 May, only to be kicked in the back a few hours later?

Finally, these are the highlights of the week: a cleaner leaves the building by the porch a few minutes after we arrive, blowing the porch alarm on her way out (Wednesday, alarm blows 8.15pm – 8.30pm); a guy with a friend wakes us up to ask if Declan’s sleeping bag is his – only leaving after I tell him twice quite aggressively, “Do you mind? I am sleeping” (Thursday at 10.30am); an ill-mannered homeless mutters that he and his friends are going to have us sorted out after Declan wouldn’t give him some of his shaving cream (this morning at 6.10am in the Whitechapel Mission washroom).

Seventh visit by the police

Two nights ago we received our seventh visit from the police – this time by a not very friendly female police community support officer. After the usual how long have you been sleeping in the porch, she only had two other questions before walking away abruptly: where do you put your bags at night; and have you ever been robbed.

Then, as we were bedding down, a total of four homeless passed by the porch within minutes of each other – Declan recognised them from the Dellow Centre and the Whitechapel Mission. (This morning at 5.10am a rough looking character approached us while we were packing to leave, asking for the direction to somewhere while at the same time eyeing our bags. Would he have run off with a bag if he had had the chance? I think so.)

This visit from the police wouldn’t have been related to Declan’s appointment the next morning with Detective Constable Alexander Head in Bethnal Green Police Station to have his statement taken in relation to the assault on him by a homeless guy in the Whitechapel Mission on 17 February – when he was punched twice in the face in an unprovoked attack. No, of course not. That would be what - thuggery?

You may ask why DC Head would take Declan’s statement now, when Declan wasn’t given the time of day for almost two and a half months (see below for chronology in respect of Declan’s efforts to have his statement taken). Enter Rev Graham Carter, head of the Methodist Church in the UK.

Carter wrote to Declan on 20 April in reply to Declan’s letter to him of 17 April (see blog of the next day) regarding harassment and intimidation in the Methodist-run Whitechapel Mission. In his letter, Carter says that the allegation of assault is being dealt with by the police and it is, therefore, not possible for him to comment on it. It would be our contention that the police then had to do just that – deal with it.

Anyway, this is Carter’s letter of 20 April:

Dear Mr Heavey

I acknowledge receipt of your letter of 17th April regarding your allegations of harassment and intimidation in the Whitechapel Mission.

Clearly the allegation of assault is being dealt with by the police and it is, therefore, not possible for me to make any comments on this. Your other allegations are most appropriately dealt with locally by those responsible for the running of the Whitechapel Mission, either the Management Committee or the Trustees, and I advise you to take up your concerns with them.

With all good wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Revd R Graham Carter

And this is the letter Declan sent by registered post this morning to Rev Peter Powers, Superintendent Minister for Tower Hamlets:

Dear Rev Powers

Re:  Harassment and intimidation in the Whitechapel Mission

I refer further to the enclosed copy of letter to me of 20 April from Rev Graham Carter, President of the Methodist Conference of Great Britain.

I also enclose copy of my letter and enclosures of 27 April to Chief Superintendent Mark Simmons of Bethnal Green Police Station regarding the unprovoked assault on me in the Whitechapel Mission on 17 February (Crime ref: 4204886/07).

I reconfirm that on 16 April I narrowly escaped being assaulted for the second time in the Whitechapel Mission. On this occasion, as stated in my previous letter to you of 24 April, the kitchen worker who intervened (Tony) took the view that it was my fault for not talking to the homeless that visit the premises. (That this was the view taken, would be evident from CCTV footage.)

Although I was informed by the acting manager of the Whitechapel Mission on 17 February that I enter the premises at my own risk, I remain adamant that this ought not to be the case. Again, I understand that if a visitor is invited onto the institution’s premises then a common duty of care will be owed by the institution to the visitor. This is to ensure that the visitor will be reasonably safe in the premises for the purposes for which he has been invited or permitted.

Kindly note that yesterday morning I was informed by Detective Constable Alexander Head of Bethnal Green Police Station that the Metropolitan Police have been informed by the management of the Whitechapel Mission that there is no CCTV footage of the assault on me on 17 February available from the camera covering the canteen area.

Yours sincerely

Declan Heavey

cc  Rev Graham Carter (by registered post – with enclosures herein referred to)

The enclosure referred to in paragraph 2 of above letter is Declan’s letter yesterday to Chief Superintendent Mark Simmons requesting under the Date Protection Act 1998 a copy of the statement taken by DC Head (some of which quoted verbatim the statement Declan handed in to Bethnal Green Police on 19 February). In this letter to CS Simmons, Declan enclosed the following chronology in respect of his efforts to have his statement taken:

19 Feb - 9.30pm, 1st visit to Bethnal Green Police Station. Hand in statement of 19 February for the attention of Police Constable Richard Bentley. Told PC Bentley will phone me to have my statement taken by him.

21 Feb - 10.00pm, 2nd visit to Bethnal Green Police Station. PC Bentley on his holidays. Told PC Calabrese of Limehouse Police Station will phone me to have my statement taken by her.

23 Feb - 11.30am, 1st phone call to Limehouse Police Station. Told to phone on 26 February for PC Calabrese.

26 Feb - 6.15am, 2nd phone call to Limehouse Police Station. Told to phone at 7.00am for PC Calabrese.

- 7.15am, 3rd phone call to Limehouse Police Station. Told to phone control room.

- 7.20am, 4th phone call to Limehouse Police Station - Control Room. Told I will be phoned back immediately. (No call.)

- 7.25am, 5th phone call to Limehouse Police Station - Control Room. Told PC Calabrese will phone me.

- 8.30pm, 1st phone message from Limehouse Police Station. Asked to phone Detective Constable Alexander Head of the Beat Crime Unit to have my statement taken by him.

27 Feb - 7.30am, 6th phone call to Limehouse Police Station - Beat Crime Unit. Told to phone at 9.00am for DC Head.

- 9.00am, 7th phone call to Limehouse Police Station - Beat Crime Unit. Speak with DC Head. Told he will phone me to have my statement taken by him.

1 Mar - 7.00pm, 2nd phone message from Limehouse Police Station. PC Bentley says he is to arrest suspect, after which he will phone me to have my statement taken by him.

23 Mar - 5.30am, 8th phone call to Limehouse Police Station. Request crime report update. Told update not available over the phone.

- 7.00am, 3rd visit to Bethnal Green Police Station. Request crime report update. Told report includes letters to me from DC Head of 26 February and 9 March, neither of which I received. Asked to call back at 8.00am for phone call to DC Head to have my statement taken by him. (7.30am, Whitechapel Mission issue letter stating no letter arrived for me since 20 January.)

- 8.00am, 4th visit to Bethnal Green Police Station. Asked to phone DC Head between 10.00pm and 6.00am.

24 Mar - 5.30am, 9th phone call to Limehouse Police Station - Beat Crime Unit. Told DC Head will phone me.

26 Mar - 12.30pm, 1st registered letter - DC Head. In reference to chronology to 26 March, I request (1) copy of the letters of 26 February and 9 March, and (2) appointment to have my statement taken.

29 Mar – 1st letter from Bethnal Green Police Station. Acknowledgement of receipt of my letter to DC Head of 26 March. States DC Head will be responding to my letter "as soon as possible".

16 Apr - 7.30am, 5th visit to Bethnal Green Police Station. Request crime report update. Told last entry is station’s letter of acknowledgement of 29 March.

- 4.00pm, 2nd registered letter - Chief Superintendent Mark Simmons. In reference to chronology to 26 March, I confirm that my statement has yet to be taken.

- 4.00pm, 3rd registered letter - Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis Ian Blair. Enclose for the Commissioner’s attention copy of my letter and enclosures of even date to CS Simmons.

22 Apr - 7.30am, 6th visit to Bethnal Green Police Station. Request crime report update. Told last entry is station’s letter of acknowledgement of 29 March.

23 Apr - 10.00am, 4th registered letter - Commissioner Blair. In reference to chronology to 26 March, I confirm that my statement has yet to be taken.

25 Apr - 9.00pm, 1st phone message from Bethnal Green Police Station. DC Head says that he has moved from Limehouse PS to Bethnal Green PS. He requests that I phone him at the robbery desk to have my statement taken by him as soon as possible.

26 Apr - 7.00am, 7th visit to Bethnal Green Police Station. Told to call back at 9.00am for DC Head.

- 8.30am, 8th visit to Bethnal Green Police Station. Not known when DC Head will be on duty. Told DC Head will phone me.

- 9.15am, 1st phone call to Bethnal Green Police Station - Robbery Desk. Get voice-mail. Confirm that I wish to have my statement taken as soon as possible.

- 1.55pm, 2nd phone call to Bethnal Green Police Station - Robbery Desk. Get voice-mail. No message.

- 1.57pm, 3rd phone call to Bethnal Green Police Station. Told to phone robbery office for DC Head.

- 2.00pm, 4th phone call to Bethnal Green Police Station - Robbery Office. Told to phone back in 30 minutes for DC Head. (I confirm that my phone will be on for DC Head to phone.)

- 2.30pm, 5th phone call to Bethnal Green Police Station - Robbery Office. Told to phone back in 20 minutes for DC Head. (I confirm that my phone will be on for DC Head to phone.)

- 2.50pm, 6th phone call to Bethnal Green Police Station - Robbery Office. Told to phone back in 20 minutes for DC Head. (I confirm that my phone has been on since 2.00pm, and will remain on for DC Head to phone.)

- 3.10pm, 7th phone call to Bethnal Green Police Station - Robbery Office. Speak with DC Head. Told he will take my statement on 27 April at 11.00am.

27 Apr - 11.00am, 9th visit to Bethnal Green Police Station. My statement taken by DC Head. Told suspect has yet to be arrested.

The harassment and intimidation in the Whitechapel Mission has been exacerbated by police delays in taking Declan’s statement – didn’t he have to call staff on 16 April to avoid being assaulted by a homeless? Step into a bus outside the establishment to escape being assaulted by, er, another homeless?

Finally, these are a few highlights from the week: the day that DC Head leaves a message on Declan’s mobile saying that he will take his statement and requests a return phone call to arrange a time, that night we are treated to an all-night blue flashing light from the porch alarm (Wednesday from 8.30pm to 5.30am); a homeless tries to get into confrontation with Declan and, when I brush him off, he pushes me and then rubs up against me (Monday at 9.10am, in the queue to enter the Dellow Centre); no hot water in the women’s washroom since last Monday, at least not from 6.00am to 6.35am – a first (Whitechapel Mission).