Warwickshire Police Chief on the warpath to prevent Hells Angels-run event from taking place WARWICKSHIRE POLICE have said they will do “all within its power” to prevent this year's Bulldog Bash from going ahead, in light of escalating biker gang warfare. The Force are concerned the event will be plagued with violence following the jail terms handed out yesterday to the seven men involved in a mass biker brawl at Birmingham Airport in January last year. The Force are also claiming the event is masquerading as a fund-raiser for organised crime. Assistant Chief Constable Bill Holland said they were still taking legal advice to prevent the Hells Angels-run event - even though the Bash has been given the green light until 2018 by Stratford-upon-Avon District Council. “The ingrained hatred between the gangs has continued and become more entrenched. A pattern can be seen to emerge between incidents at the Bulldog Bash and developments worldwide within the motorcycle club community,” Mr Holland told the Birmingham Mail. “When you have a major event it becomes a symbolic target and must be considered at risk of attack. “The Bulldog Bash is a Hells Angels' event, run by the Hells Angels for the Hells Angels. It raises a significant sum of money for an organised crime group. In no way can the Bulldog Bash disassociate itself from the Hells Angels. “We are still hopeful through the courts of getting the licence for the event removed.”                                                                                                                                                                              

So what's their proof that it's organised crime and not just a motorcycle club?   If it is funding organised crime - then they have a fair argument                                                                                                                                                                             

Would love to see Warwickshire police go head to head with couple of thousand Hells Angels They will be using anti terrorism laws next   How many thousand people go to these events and a few cause a bit of trouble so they ban it. Dont see them banning Football and there is a lot more trouble at those events                                                                                                                                                                             

Once again for obscure reasons related to a few incidents bikers in general are branded misfits ! it seems to me that the law enforcers doubts its own ability to maintain the LAW .                                                                                                                                                                              

Will international cricket tests be banned in England because of the Terrorist attacks on the Shri Lankan team recently ...no chance !                                                                                                                                                                             

well i went last year, never been before and didnt see one bit of trouble                                                                                                                                                                             

Just the police trying to crack down on bike meets again by the sound of it.............any excuse!                                                                                                                                                                              

love to see warwickshire police go head to head with a couple of thousand hells angels well last year they went head to head with one and lost Binky H.A.M.C Wessex [RIP] tirelesly and diligently put together a case for the bulldog to go ahead in all the years the kent custom show ran and in the years the bulldog has been running there has been no incidents untill gerry tobin H.A.M.C London [RIP] was killed which happened after the bash and away from it if it was a day later it would not have been associated with the bulldog warwickshire police are using ilogical reasoning and supposition to try and stop the show as if any one is going to be foolish enough to cause trouble during a event attended by so many hells angels from around the world basic millitary stratergy and common sense is to atack your enemy at his weakest not strongest And whatever your personal thoughts on patch clubs or the bulldog if they succeed in stopping it will make it easy to use the precedent to shut any rally or show at the local polices whim bye bye biker culture?                                                                                                                                                                             

we're missing the point.  They want to stop it because all the thousands of people buying tickets, beer etc is aparently funding criminal activities.   So... get the police to prove it and then they've got a case.   Otherwise... let it go ahead.                                                                                                                                                                             

matt don't think we are missing the point the article raises fears of gang warfare as the main issue with the organised crime angle as a subtext i agree with you that on that isssue let them prove it but they have to use the threat of trouble because they can act on that unproven in the interests of public safety

So when exactly are the government going to admit we are a communist state then???   Cant do this, cant say that! will it end ? I Doubt it   Lets be honest thou, the reason football does'nt get banned is because it generates alot of revenue for the forces, how much do they get from us bikers?                                                                                                                                                                              

Thats the way i read it PD , i also wonder what percentage of the gate and other takings are donated to chosen charities ? a fair amount i'd say !                                                                                                                                                                              

then they'll have to put the prices up and pay for a strong police  presence, inc mounted police and motorcycle police too.                                                                                                                                                                             

The Police spent something ridiculous like £1.4 million on policing outside it last year - including armed police. (I may have plucked that figure out of thin air, but I'm reasonably sure that's what I read somewhere - which is pretty much the same as plucking it out of thin air!)

Lots of "stopping & searching" going on, which brought a fine haul of... erm... well... camping knives and multi-tool gadgets by all accounts. Probably well worth the expense. Can't have these campers dashing about the countryside, equipped to get stones out of horses hooves indiscriminately, now can we?!

                                                                                                                                                                             

Here y'are:

During the four day operation 507 vehicles and 525 people were searched. Twenty six people were arrested and 24 weapons were seized, most of which were knives.

From this article:

http://www.policeoracle.com/news/Bulldog-Bash---Police-Op-A-Success_17002.html

I can't seem to find trace/news of anyone ultimately being charged over possession of these "knives" though. Funny that.
                                                                                                                                                                             

Surely if the Hells Angels are a criminal group, then it's illegal to be a member. How come that as a "club" they are allowed to exist without the police having already arrested every one of them?

If it's not an illegal group, then why should any money they raise be going to illegal purposes?

Is there a legal technicality?

I believe the fear is that the Angels and rivals will clash, however the tactic is for smaller numbers to be involved in fights, not massed ranks of rivals facing off where there is a massive police presence.

Splinter groups clashing away from the bulldog would be most likely.

So, not sure about the police action. It may just be a show of intention to raise awareness that they are watching and will come down hard...

Have the police done this every year?
I seem to have read that they wanted the council to not issue a 10 year permit. But if they haven't done this since the outset, isn't there just a chance it's just a case of hot air.

Takes me back to the mid 60's when the mods and rockers used to have it out on Brighton beach and some other venues , all preplanned date,time and place , pretty violent as well although i cant recall any deaths amongst the couple of thousands that were involved , it makes current fears seem mild by comparison !

Have the police done this every year?
I seem to have read that they wanted the council to not issue a 10 year permit. But if they haven't done this since the outset, isn't there just a chance it's just a case of hot air.

Generally speaking, the safety/security record during over 2 decades that the Bash has been running has been excellent.

Following Gentleman Gerry's death in 2007, when he was shot and killed on his way home from the Bash, understandably, the Police wanted to step up security, and indeed opposed last year's licence application. The authorities in Warwickshire in turn, granted the permit/licensing for the event for a period of 10 years.

It brings in a LOT of trade for local businesses, so they don't want to see it go.

At the time of 2008's Bash, the trial of those charged with Gerry's murder was pending and certain intelligence-based concerns were raised by the Police. This is all quite understandable, generally speaking. They'd like to avoid any possible revenge/retribution action.

What I don't understand however, is Mr Holland's insistence that there is a "clear, evidenced and significant risk to innocent members of the public". not quoted in the OP of this discussion, but he is quoted as saying that by the Beeb. I would very much like to see this "evidenced risk" for myself.

So far as my understanding goes, the incidence of criminal activity affecting public safety at this event is pretty low e.g. assaults, sexual assaults, theft, muggings etc etc.

When you get a crowd of some 50,000 people together, not every last one of them is going to be a fluffy, cuddly, individual who makes daisy chains and generally spreads the lurve... but personally speaking, I reckon I'd be safer going to the Bully than to say, a Spurs v. Arsenal footie match, or Glastonbury, or an Anti-Capitalist demo. Can we have all these banned too if the Bulldog's banned?

Ultimately, a Police cordon around the event itself, stopping & searching nearby and all the rest of it wouldn't have saved Gerry's life. He was attacked miles away from the event.

I just can't see that blocking the licence application and cancelling the event would have any positive effect whatsoever. The local businesses would potentially lose hundreds of thousands of £££ worth of trade.

So they would alienate not just the members of the HAMC and anyone who enjoys going to the Bulldog (Club or otherwise) but also the local businesses who have come to rely on a very busy weekend's trading, thanks to the Bash.

And it could potentially open up a trickle down effect to smaller rallies/events, where local councils/Police could raise objections to granting licences, holding up the Bulldog as their precedent.

Here endeth another Wannabe essay... After I swore I wouldn't get involved... At the end of the day, I know naff all about the *real* reasons behind Mr Holland's objections, I only know what I've read/heard, 90% of which is probably pure bolleaux anyway! As usual & part of me can't help but think that he's using it as a platform for his personal advancement, making it into a bit of a crusade to "make his mark".

                                                                                                                                                                             

What's the legal status of the Hell's Angels in the UK?                                                                                                                                                                             

Wannabe, I completely agree with you. Having done the Kent Custom Show for a number of years (starting on L pates on a 125!) I have to say that I never felt "under threat" or "in danger", and I've probably done 10+ years there. In the complete opposite, (and I apologise to any liverpudlians), I also regularly attended the RAF Woodvale Rally near Southport (Model Aircraft, Classic Cars etc) for many many years, only to see it spoiled by local scrotes wandering around at night nicking things, slashing tyres etc. I'd go to the Kent Custom Show, Buldog Bash etc again tomorrow, but have vowed never to go to the Woodvale Rally again!