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Tony Blair bodyguard leaves gun in Starbucks toilet

MetalChris

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TONY Blair’s blundering bodyguard left a deadly loaded pistol in full view of coffee shop customers and their children.
The semi-automatic Glock 17 remained on the floor of the Starbucks cafe’s only toilet for nearly 20 minutes.

The bodyguard, a girl cop who is the former PM’s close protection officer, left it there after spending a penny while on duty.

It was eventually found by a horrified Starbucks employee, who called 999.

Meanwhile the high-flying officer, in her 30s and wearing plain clothes, was searching frantically for the gun after realising her mistake.

She spent nearly an hour trying to retrace her steps.

The pistol was eventually linked to her when cops compared its serial number to those logged at a police armoury.

Scotland Yard chiefs hit the roof. And the bodyguard, whose job is to protect Mr Blair from al-Qaeda terrorists, has been “removed from operational duties”.

A senior police source said last night: “She knows she has messed up bad.” The officer, attached to the Yard’s crack SO1 protection unit, was caught short while on Edgware Road, Central London — near one of Mr Blair’s homes.

She took off a belt holding the Glock while she relieved herself in the Starbucks toilet — used by men and women, boys and girls.

After leaving the loo the absent-minded cop stopped to buy a coffee and then walked out — completely forgetting she had left the gun behind.

The police source said: “Luckily it was found in time, but if a child or a criminal had picked it up there could have been terrible consequences.

“This has come as a shock. The officer is inconsolable and seriously regrets her mistake.”

The source added: “Everyone is fond of her.

“She was among the top in her class during training, but her firearms career could be over.”

Armed female cops have been griping for years about the bulky design of their gun belts. Male officers do not need to remove theirs to spend a penny — but the girls do.

The source said no decision has been made about the bodyguard’s long-term future.

Her SO1 unit — full name Specialist Protection Command — is responsible for the personal safety of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and ex-PMs Mr Blair and Margaret Thatcher.

It also guards Cabinet ministers, ambassadors and high-profile individuals who are considered terrorist targets.

Scotland Yard said last night: “A police-issue firearm was left unattended in a central London cafe.

Traced
“The weapon belongs to a Metropolitan Police authorised firearm officer who was on duty at the time. An investigation has begun.

“We have traced the officer concerned and the officer has been removed from operational duties pending the investigation.”

The Starbucks bungle is the second security blip faced by Middle East envoy Mr Blair since he left Downing Street.

Last September four asylum seekers got into the UK in the back of a lorry delivering Mr Blair’s new £100,000 reinforced BMW from Munich.

They were discovered when the doors of the transporter were opened at a police garage in Vauxhall, South London.
OMG! I'm surprised the gun didn't kill anyone, seeing as how guns are inherently evil. :uhoh:
 

cccook

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"Spend a penny"...what a lovely euphemism for powdering one's nose. Right, must be off...cheerio.
 

ilbob

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"spend a penny" is probably a euphemism for using the toilet. quite possibly in reference to coin operated toilets of the past that perhaps cost a penny.
 

Grapeshot

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The most obvious slap is that Tony Blair is more equal that the average Brit. Mr Blair gets to be protected with a firearm(s). British commoners do not.

I guess that is why they call them subjects.

Yata hey
 

kparker

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TONY Blair’s blundering bodyguard left a deadly loaded pistol in full view of coffee shop customers and their children.

Oh, those poor, poor people, having to look at a deadly loaded pistol. I guess hoplophobia is the new Victorianism, eh?
 

Goliath

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kparker wrote:
TONY Blair’s blundering bodyguard left a deadly loaded pistol in full view of coffee shop customers and their children.

Oh, those poor, poor people, having to look at a deadly loaded pistol. I guess hoplophobia is the new Victorianism, eh?
My question is, what kind of toilets do they have in England if something on the floor is in full view of everyone in the store.
 

Puddin99

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http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/spend-a-penny.html




Spend a penny
Meaning

To use a public lavatory.

Origin

This refers to the (former) use of coin operated locks on public toilets. It was used mostly in the UK and mostly by women (men's urinals were free of charge).

Such locks were first introduced, at a public toilet outside the Royal Exchange, London, in the 1850s. The term itself is later though. The first recorded citation of it is in H. Lewis's Strange Story, 1945:


"'Us girls,' she said, 'are going to spend a penny!'"
'Spend a penny' has now gone out of use, partly because charges have changed and partly because it was always a coy euphemism, which now seems rather dated. The writing was on the wall for this phrase, so to speak, from 1977, when the Daily Telegraph printed an article headed "2p to spend a penny".
 

Sonora Rebel

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"...left a deadly loaded pistol :question: in full view :what:eek:f coffee shop customers :monkeyand their children.:monkey:monkey:monkey


The semi-automatic Glock 17 remained on the floor of the Starbucks cafe’s only toilet :quirkyfor nearly 20 minutes.":shock:

My GOD! It's a wonder the bloody thing didn't slither off and attack the lot! 20 minutes... just imagine! :uhoh: 'Full view no less! The HORROR! :what:

Y'all deserve Sharia Law! What's happened to Britian?
 

Statesman

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What a complete lack of common sense, on the part of everyone involved in this eventless fiasco. Starbucks employee horrified? Good grief.

All of Britain needs to read a book called "The Death of Common Sense: How Law is Suffocating America".

Did anyone else notice their 911 is 666 upside down? I always knew the Anti-Christ would come from Britain.
 

Paul Volk

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gzelmiami wrote:
I assume spend a penny is a #1.
What then is a #2? Or is it the same for both?
Dropping a Benjamin?

:p


Although, I agree the media blew it more out of proportion than a murder/homicide, that was a pretty irresponsible move on the bodyguard's part. I can honestly say I've never accidentally left my pistol anywhere, let alone forgot about it.

And why would she need to remove it from her holster to'spend her penny'? It seems it would be more wise to remove the holster (weapon intact), if it needs to come off to do the duty.
 

Grapeshot

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Paul Volk wrote:
snip.......
And why would she need to remove it from her holster to'spend her penny'? It seems it would be more wise to remove the holster (weapon intact), if it needs to come off to do the duty.
Assuming that she was wearing trousers/pants - to lower them while doing the deed, causes the pistol to either clank on the floor or otherwise tangle everything up - so most will unholster in some fashion.

My solution is to always unholster when "sitting" but place the pistol between your legs, in the crotch of your pants. Do that and you will never, never forget and leave it behind.

Yata hey
 

Paul Volk

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Grapeshot wrote:
Paul Volk wrote:
snip.......
And why would she need to remove it from her holster to'spend her penny'? It seems it would be more wise to remove the holster (weapon intact), if it needs to come off to do the duty.
Assuming that she was wearing trousers/pants - to lower them while doing the deed, causes the pistol to either clank on the floor or otherwise tangle everything up - so most will unholster in some fashion.

My solution is to always unholster when "sitting" but place the pistol between your legs, in the crotch of your pants. Do that and you will never, never forget and leave it behind.

Yata hey

Surprisingly enough, the only place I've even had to relieve myself while carrying, is my own home. I usually remove the holster, pistol intact, and place it on the sink counter until I'm finished. As easy as it is to remove a basic IWB holster, I've never felt the need to leave the holster in place and unholster the pistol.

But I suppose if she was using some sort of "fixed" or elaborately mounted holster, then I see why she unholstered.

I'm also fortunate to be able to conceal carry my service model XD in my groin area, and still be able to '#1' through my barn door with no issues. I'm glad I was born a 'Paul' and not a 'Molly'. ;)
 

Old Grump

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Two points and the first is the asinine policy of one size/type gear fits all and she wasn't equipped with better equipment.

Second point is while her career just took a big hit I would bet you a months pay that of all the people in law enforcement allowed to carry firearms she would be the least likely to ever repeat that mistake.

Just 2 centavos worth of opinion from an old dinosaur.
 

Haz.

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"TONY Blair’s blundering bodyguard left a deadly loaded pistol in full view of coffee shop customers and their children. "
.

Sick and tired of hearing all the anti handgunners telling everyone willing to listen that pistols, loaded or even unloaded are deadly and can kill, Iconducted an experiment to see if this is true.

I placed mydeadly unloaded handgunon the bench restat my local target pistol club aimed at the target 50 mtrs awayone sunny Sunday morning and repeatedly said;

"Come on deadly unloaded pistol, fire?" It compleatly ignored my command.

Realising my deadly handgun could not obey my order and fire whilst unloaded, I loaded my deadly handgun, placed it on the benchrest aimed at the targetand again commanded it to fire, not once but several times.

Again my deadly loaded handgun refused to fire. I thought it might be broken because it justwould notfire no matter how many times I said fire?

Frustrated, I unloaded my deadly handgun, called my friend who is a qualified gunsmith over and asked him if there was anything wrong with my deadly unloaded handgun?He examined it carefully for a few minutes and told me it was in perfect working order.

Conclusion. It seems my deadly handgun is not deadly at all, unless I loadthe magazine, chamber a round,then aim my handgun at someone or something and actually pull the triger?

Unless I carefully do all thesefour things my deadly handgun isabout as deadly as ahorrified starbuck employee dialing 999.

Haz.
 
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