WINNER NO SINNER IN STIRRER CAMPAIGN

09-02-2007

Movie director Michael Winner has responded from his sickbed to The Stirrer's campaign to get a permanent memorial for West Midlands police officer DC Mick Swindells, killed almost three years ago after responding to a 999 call.

Mick died on a Birmingham canal towpath after being stabbed by Glaister Butler, a paranoid schizophrenic now serving life for manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The fallen cop was honoured recently with the posthumous award of the Queen's Gallantry Medal, but there's still no plaque or stone to remind future generations of his great sacrifice (see our previous article here).

This website kicked off a campaign to make sure that he wasn't forgotten, and Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg then wrote an open letter to Winner in a recent Birmingham Mail column appealing for his help (see article here).

Winner, who is chair of the Police Memorial Trust, has written back confirming that plans were already in place to honour Mick, but had been held up by the erection of National Police Memorial in London.

He adds: “Sadly, I'm in hospital with a very serious illness indeed. As soon as I recover enough strength to carry on with the task of honouring DC Swindells, that is what will happen.

“With the time it takes to get these memorials permission and organised, I can assure you there is nothing unusual about the memorial going up three years after the death of the officer. It is not a race, as far as I'm concerned.

“It is to place a permanent and lasting tribute as soon as the resources of this small, single man operation, can be turned toward it.”

Winner notes that all but one of the 36 police memorials in place nationally have been paid for out of his own pocket - the exception being PC Yvonne Fletcher - though The Stirrer likes to think that if money is an issue in Mick's case, there wouldn't be any shortage of local contributions.