Latest news with #JonBurrows
ITV News
5 days ago
- ITV News
Top police officer facing possible sack retires before misconduct hearing
UTV can reveal a senior police officer at the centre of a controversary over the disappearance of a vacuum cleaner from a police station and claims the tried to blame the alleged theft on subordinates has been able to retire before facing any disciplinary action. The new twist in this four-and-half-year-old saga came as we revealed back in June that the top officer would be facing a gross misconduct hearing – meaning he could face the sack. That is no longer going to happen because he has already hung up his uniform and retired. Former senior officer turned Ulster Unionist assembly member Jon Burrows – who used to be in charge of police discipline – has blasted how police have handled the whole affair. "It's so late in the day, the officer has been able to avoid accountability and retire," said Mr Burrows. The so-called Hoovergate scandal erupted in January 2021 when there were tensions within the PSNI over an alleged two-tier approach to discipline within the service. It's claimed the disappearance of the vacuum cleaner which was later returned was not properly investigated first time round to protect the top officer. A second investigation was initiated, this time by senior personnel at PSNI headquarters. A file was sent to the PPS for alleged theft – a decision was reached just a few months ago not to prosecute. We tried to contact the recently retired officer for comment but got no response. Our latest Hoovergate revelation comes ahead of proposed changes by the Department of Justice to police conduct regulations. No interview from the PSNI, but instead this statement. ''The Department of Justice has recently launched a stakeholder consultation process regarding proposed changes to the Police Conduct regulations," said the PSNI. "One proposed change relates to former officer misconduct processes where individuals who have chosen to resign or been granted permission to retire whilst suspended and subject of a misconduct process, can either return to conclude the process or it can be concluded in their absence."
Belfast Telegraph
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
New UUP MLA Jon Burrows: ‘I narrowly escaped paedophile teacher's clutches - I'm still angry he got away with it for so long'
New UUP MLA Jon Burrows on paedophile Lindsay Brown, serving with the Met and PSNI, accusations he's a 'celebrity politician', how David Cameron's Bloody Sunday apology hit right note, and why Simon Byrne failed badly as chief constable UUP MLA Jon Burrows says he 'escaped the clutches' of prolific paedophile schoolteacher Lindsay Brown 'by centimetres'. Mr Burrows, who was co-opted into the Assembly earlier this week, details horrific scenes in Bangor Grammar when he attended the school in the 1980s.
Belfast Telegraph
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
New UUP MLA Jon Burrows calls for Unionism to have 'same passion' as Nationalism
The New UUP MLA for North Antrim and former PSNI Superintendent Jon Burrows has said it is 'vital' for Unionism to have the 'same passion' as Nationalism to promote the benefits of Northern Ireland.
BBC News
04-08-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Jon Burrows: Stormont's performance is 'sub-optimal', says new MLA
Former senior police officer and media commentator Jon Burrows has said he will bring "forensic scrutiny" when he officially takes up his role as an Ulster Unionist Assembly will sign the Assembly roll later on Monday, having been selected to replace North Antrim MLA Colin Crawford, who steps down after less than a year in the role.A former superintendent with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Burrows was one of three candidates interviewed for the has been outspoken on policing issues, drawing on a long career in law enforcement, including his time as head of discipline within the PSNI. Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, Burrows described Stormont in its current form as "sub-optimal" and said he believes it needs to evolve."I think most people in Northern Ireland now realise that the kind of permanent power-sharing structure we had to get us over the line to a peace deal in 1998 probably does need to evolve to make it something more effective and accountable," Burrows said."A sort of collective government and a proper opposition, that would be ideal, but in the meantime I will provide scrutiny, I have showed that in the last number of months and years - I will provide forensic scrutiny."Burrows said he "genuinely believes in public service" and decided to take up the role as an MLA "after taking soundings" and put his name forward because he has a "burning ambition and desire to help people".Burrows said he wants to see the Ulster Unionist Party "grow" and "be on the front foot to bring electoral gains". 'I want Northern Ireland to work' "I do believe in Northern Ireland, and I believe in its place in the Union," he said."I think we need to advocate for it with the same pride and passion as those who believe in a united Ireland.""I think they lead the running in that commentary, and we need to catch up."Burrows said issues such as the cost of living, support for adults with children with special educational needs (SEN), illegal immigration, housing, and particularly tackling violence against women and girls, are high on his list of priorities."These issues repeat and repeat, and we need solutions," he said."Violence against women, girls, and children in our society is at an epidemic level."They are getting murdered in their homes and on the streets."I will be the first to ask awkward questions of the police, of the justice minister, and everyone else - so we can have less women and girls dying in our streets."
BBC News
30-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Jon Burrows: UUP's newest MLA carries on tradition of men in uniform
Jon Burrows is the newest Stormont MLA for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), but he is not the only former police officer the party has tried to attract News NI understands the party approached Jim Gamble, the former head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command Centre in the United Kingdom, to be its North Down candidate in the Westminster election in July immediately turned down the Gamble declined to comment when approached by the BBC. Instead, the party went for the former Army officer Colonel Tim Collins, who failed to win the notoriously told the BBC at the election count that the people of North Down "don't want someone who doesn't live in Northern Ireland"."They're interested in local politics," he added."They're not interested in cutting VAT, they're not interested in international affairs. "They're interested in potholes and hedges."He had already complained during the campaign that he could insure his Rolls Royce in England, where he lived, for what it costs to insure a Ford Fiesta in north the recruitment of Jon Burrows to replace Colin Crawford, who lasted less than a year in the North Antrim Stormont seat, carries on a tradition within the UUP of seeking to attract oven-ready high(ish) profile representatives who are no strangers to of the past four leaders of the UUP have been:Steve Aiken, a former Royal Navy submarine commanderDoug Beattie, a former Royal Irish Regiment officer well known for his service in Iraq and AfghanistanMike Nesbitt, a former TV news presenterIn addition, one of its nine current assembly members, Andy Allen, was seriously injured while serving in the Army in leader Robbie Butler is a former firefighter. The policy of bringing in high profile people from other walks of life is not entirely unique to the example, Sinn Féin now has an MP, Pat Cullen, better known for her role as boss of a UK-wide nursing trade the UUP unarguably is way out in front for bringing in candidates already well known in other fields. So why?"There is something that attracts seniority to the UUP," says former party staffer Michael Shilliday. "In the old days that was just "big house unionism". "Maybe it's still that."But really it is what the 'decent people' shtick from 2005 was all about."That's why these people see themselves reflected in the UUP."That is a reference to a disastrous 2005 general election campaign slogan: "Decent People Vote Ulster Unionist". I remember being in the BBC office in Stormont one morning when the party press officer walked in introducing a man he said was a former Royal Navy submarine what seemed like no time at all, Steve Aiken, to use the hackneyed line, went from the command of one sinking ship to he stepped down, he was replaced by Doug Beattie who promised a "union of people", before things the latest changes is Mike Nesbitt, another man who had no grounding in elected politics when he swapped his news anchor role at UTV for an even hotter seat at quitting the leadership the first time, following a disappointing assembly election, he is because there was no other obvious candidate and partly because he represented the best chance of salvation for a party which is rapidly using up its quota of last to former UUP director of communications Alex Kane "it's a hangover from the 1920s when the Ulster Unionists saw themselves as the party of service". "They still do," he adds."Service to the people, service to the country and for them that is represented by a uniform."In a way, Mike Nesbitt is the same. "He was seen in people's living rooms on television each night and that is a form of service too. "The problem is times have changed."But it also reflects a lack of candidates from those already within the ranks who have the track record necessary to win elections and that, long-term, is a problem for the once mighty party of unionism.
