Former Detective Sergeant Michael Hornby

EDM number 516 in 1995-96, proposed by Chris Mullin on 26/02/1996.

That this House notes that the career of Detective Sergeant Michael Hornby, one of the West Midlands police officers who persuaded Mr Hugh Callaghan, an innocent man, to confess to the Birmingham pub bombings, was dogged by allegations of similar malpractice; further notes that records disclosed by the West Midlands police show that during his time with the now notorious Serious Crimes Squad Mr Hornby was the subject of 37 complaints and that, of the 20 for which files exist, most allege fabrication, perjury and duress, or a combination of all three; notes with interest that the wording of one of these alleged confessions, extracted from Mr Leo Morgan in 1986, bears a remarkable resemblance to that obtained by Mr Hornby 12 years earlier from Hugh Callaghan; is not surprised that, so far as it is possible to tell, not one of the complaints against Mr Hornby, who is probably the most complained about officer in the most complained about police force in the country, was awarded the Queen's Police Medal and that the citation should describe his as 'a superb detective officer' who 'imparts valuable experience to junior detecti ve colleagues who benefit greatly from the excellent example of professionalism which he sets'; and believes that the West Midland Police are better off without Detective Sergeant Hornby and his like.

This motion has been signed by a total of 26 MPs.