Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Brunstrom: Too Far This Time?

Richard Brunstrom, the biker hating "zero tolerance" Chief Constable of North Wales Police seems to have been upsetting biker folk again.

In its latest anti-speed campaign, North Wales Police have revealed photographs, one of which was a decapitated biker. The photo shows the man’s head with his eyes still open lying on a grass verge. The photo was shown to journalists and local authority representatives at a meeting to promote road safety.

Brunstrom said: “We did it to serve a purpose. The images are there to make an impact today.” He also stated that the biker was travelling at excessive speed. This I suppose is fair enough, but disturbingly, Brunstrom said that the family of the dead man was not aware the image was being used in the campaign!

How lovely to know your dead son's/husband's/brother's/sister's/dad's decapitated head photo is being shown around to God only knows who without your knowledge. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it doesn't end up splashed all over the internet at some stage.

I avoid political, ethical and personal issues like the plague on here but Brunstrom, I think you've gone too far this time.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shock tactics seem to be the thing being tried at the moment, but there's no excuse for doing it without relatives' permission, if that was really the case. Dorset police wouldn't. Came across a new phrase the other day to describe a drunk that wandered in the way of a bike and cars on the A35 - traumatic dismemberment! He'd have been better off driving! Lovely. Talk about going to pieces when you've had a few!

Momentary Madness said...

Absolutely over the top as usual.
What else can I say.
Y:-) Paddy

ellie said...

Shock tactics seem to be the order of the day here too. We currently have a television ad running which shows you a young mother with a babys feeding dish in her hand while you hear her husband talk about his bike ride. .
"Open road, you open up." He talks about the freedom he feels then he crashes.
It ends with the woman saying "He loved to get away from it all but we can never get away from this" She is not feeding a baby it's her husband who has lost use of his limbs.
To me that ad represents all the fears I had sitting at home waiting for a bike ride to end. It's not just the rider who suffers.

ellie said...

Just been watching TV and saw this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxaQQ7kpP5g

it is by far the worst road safety advertisement I have seen but if it saves one life or prevents one serious accident then it must be worth it.

Elaine Denning said...

To use a picture without the family's knowedge is just bang out of order.

Ellie - I just watched that...God...it was awful.

Mike said...

Nick - How the devil are you? We're coming to visit you in July if that's OK with you. Let us know any dates that won't suit.

Paddy - Yip, as usual.

Ellie - My God that's a right shocker!

The worst commercial I've seen up to viewing Ellie's is this one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o-u0RFtyGY

This one is quite shocking too when you stop laughing at it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQIqZUApYNU

A real real funny one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6Z04p0r5DE

Mike said...

Nick - Sadly it is all very true I'm afraid. Take a read of the below where you'll find the views of the distraught widow, father and brother.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/mcn/2007/April/apr23-30/apr3007fathercallsforbrunstromtobesacked/

There are other related articles as well. Motorcycle News is running a campaign to get him dismissed.

Anonymous said...

Well what can I say! His media and press office deserve a good seeing to as well. But somebody needs to take the fall for this and I guess his would be the most senior head to roll. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Cheers Mike - always good to read your stuff.

Ant said...

Im not saying the circumstances in which the photo was correct, i.e, the family not knowing the gory details of the death but i think sometimes some people need the shock tactics approach to push a sujbect home....

Anonymous said...

Holy Freak! That is disturbing! DISTURBING!!!

Ew!