Army Hero 'Wrong Colour' For Police

[SO19]

Army Hero 'Wrong Colour' For Police

A soldier who saw nine comrades killed in Afghanistan told yesterday how he was stopped from becoming a cop — because he is the wrong colour.

Brave Lance Cpl Ben Mayer, a regimental police officer with the Royal Anglians, was shown capturing Taliban terrorists on a telly documentary screened last week.

But when he quit the Army last month to fulfil his ambition of becoming a cop, the Metropolitan Police refused to even send him a recruitment pack — and told him in a letter they were only “actively seeking to raise interest from black and minority ethnic communities and females”.

But he could apply to be a volunteer special constable or a Community Support Officer.

Stunned Ben, 23, said: “After all I went through for my country to defend it, I just wanted to help the community at home — especially at a time when terrorism is such a threat.

“While I was in Helmand, I risked my life constantly to take on terrorists.

“To get back and learn that I am the wrong colour or sex to even be considered for the police has left me speechless.

"I feel discriminated against.”

Ben, of Billericay, Essex, was shown operating on Helmand frontline with 1st Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment, in Sky One's Ross Kemp In Afghanistan. He was seen interrogating terrorists in Army jails.

The soldier, who also served in Iraq, left the Army after seven years.

He added: “I’ve always wanted to be a cop and my experiences dealing with prisoners in Afghanistan just strengthened that because I enjoyed it so much. I find it very disheartening. ”

Non-white officers make up 24 per cent of the London force — an increase of seven per cent last year.

Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair boasted in October that success in recruiting minorities meant positive discrimination was no longer needed.

The Met confirmed Ben had been refused a recruitment pack — but said that the force was not recruiting right now.

A spokeswoman added: “This is the case for everyone regardless of gender or ethnic origin.”

In 2006, Gloucestershire Police were forced to pay £2,500 compensation after “deselecting” white male candidates who had applied to become coppers.

http://www.modoracle.com/news/Army-Hero ... tegory=all

[wato212]

f@#k me, heard it all now.