Exam monitor’s arrest fury

Friday 10th April 2009, 2:00PM BST.

malcolm-macintyre-readA 63-year-old Telford exam invigilator was arrested on suspicion of assault and fingerprinted and DNA tested by police for pushing away a rowdy teenage schoolboy, it was revealed yesterday.

Malcolm MacIntyre-Read, who was subsequently released without charge, said the youth was considerably bigger than him and claimed pupils were now “untouchable”.

He admitted swearing at the youth but said he was unhappy that his DNA and details are being kept on file by police even though they took no further action.

Mr MacIntyre-Read, of Stretton Road, Much Wenlock, spoke out after a fracas last May at Wrockwardine Wood Arts College.

He said ill health had prevented him from raising the issue until now.

The former college lecturer, a neighbourhood watch district co-ordinator and a community first responder who oversaw exams on a part-time basis, claimed that the incident happened when he challenged a group of youths who had been kicking a ball at the windows of the college gym.

He took the football off the youths and admits he swore at them but claims he pushed one of them away when he squared up to him.

The college principal ordered Mr MacIntyre-Read off the premises.

Two months later he was arrested on suspicion of common assault.

He was also sacked from invigilating.

Mr MacIntyre-Read said: “I have friends who are teachers, support staff and police officers and all of them have experiences of children of various ages who think they can do whatever they like, no matter who or what they hurt, because they have become untouchable.”

A Telford & Wrekin Council spokesman said the college had acted appropriately, adding: “By his own admission, Mr MacIntyre-Read used inappropriate language towards a group of pupils and laid his hands on one.”

A police spokesman confirmed details of people arrested are held routinely.

By Simon Hardy


  1. 1
    Mark

    Further evidence that this country has completely lost the plot. We’re allowing a whole generation of young thugs to grow up thinking they’re allowed to get away with whatever they wish, and when someone does take exception, they run crying to the very authorities who have allowed things to sink to this level.
    Wake up you politically correct morons, why are you not able to see what’s happening in the real world?

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  2. 2
    T Bill

    It is ironic that this event should be illustrated by the media concurrent with another comment thread that is debating a similar issue! …
    Mr MacIntyre Read has correctly identified the dilemma and it is perhaps prudent to apply Occams Razor and suffice it to say that until a certain cancer is eradicated from society we can expect a lot more of the same! ……..

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  3. 3
    Lucy W

    Good on ya Malcolm!

    Have the police got nothing better to do? Well yes they have but it seems that they are work shy when it comes to serious crime.

    Report abuse

  4. 4
    aderyn

    Well said Mark.

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  5. 5
    John Smith

    Yet another instance of someone being ‘logged’ into the system…what more proof do we really need to see this country is turning into something far more sinister than we ever believed possible. Never mind Big Brother is watching, Big Brother is right on our tails, no matter what you do or where you go.
    I agree 100% with Lucy W here, our Police really need to be dealing with genuine crime and leave innocent folk alone!

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  6. 6
    Paul Williams

    He should be lucky he wasn’t beaten and pushed to the floor from behind!

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  7. 7
    John Howard

    This is becoming such a familiar story that anyone from abroad reading about the state of Great Britain today must think we’ve all gone mad. We need a radical change of Government who will overturn this stupidity whereby criminals are cosseted and heroes like Malcolm are punished. The brainless thugs who are ruining our society should be thrashed within an inch of their lives, named and shamed, not protected.

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  8. 8
    English Exile

    Police in the UK now really are the pits.
    Politically correct and frightened of their own shadows.
    Taking the easy option every time.
    I remember, as I am sure many of you do, when a copper would have given this moronic ”youth” a clip around the ear and sent him on his way.
    I have to admitted in my role back in the UK I worked with a lot of senior police officers who I had a lot of respect for.
    The senior police officers I had contact with just before I left weren’t police officers they were ”accountants”. Very much a case of COST first, policing second.

    Report abuse

  9. 9
    PC Mary 452

    Hopefully none of you won’t need the help of the Police in the future. Especially as you believe they do such a bad job!!!

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  10. 10
    Kevboy

    It’s interesting how the “pc gone mad” extremists have gone to town on this story. I wonder if Mr MacIntyre-Read and his supporters made their feelings known as strongly when the laws around DNA retention were brought into force? Maybe, however, they were the same people who said: “If you do nothing wrong you’ve got nothing to fear.” and condemned the protesters as “lilly livered liberals.” Now they condemn the same people as the fictitious “pc brigade”…and so it goes on.

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  11. 11
    Lucy W

    PC Mary 452: Yes I do in fact need the police’s help with a criminal matter and despite writing to the Chief Constable twice asking that he shove a rocket up the local plod, nothing happens. Have been told for months that the wooden tops are going to see me – but they never appear.

    I guess something ‘serious’ like ‘Malcolm the Menace’ keeps cropping up so I never hear despite promise after promise.

    As a result I have instructed a solicitor to take out a private prosecution!!!!

    So Mary, yes, lots of tax payers would like something back from our police that we pay for but we just don’t get it – its a disgrace. At least we can vote out incompetent politians.

    So now what do you have to say for yourself?

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  12. 12
    jersey 1960

    going back too english exile
    police, respect im afraid in my book those two words will never go together, i work in a proffesion that crooses paths with the police and i must say at incidents they are a waste of space
    more interested in quotas than useing common scence

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  13. 13
    PC Mary 452

    Lucy; I cannot comment as I do not know your circumstances. But do not tar everyone with the same brush. Some are hard working officers who do care..

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  14. 14
    Lucy W

    PC Mary 452: I speak as I find and I find institutional incompetence. I have yet to find the hard working officers who care that you mention – at any level of the force.

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