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RAF Cadets warned Remembrance Sunday parade could break the law as police scrap 'gesture of goodwill'
14 October 2022, 08:54 | Updated: 14 October 2022, 09:44
A group of RAF Cadets in North London face cancelling their 70-year-old Remembrance Sunday parade, because police will no longer enforce a road closure.
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The squadron, based in Stoke Newington, has been told by Hackney Council the Met's "gesture of goodwill" isn't possible, and it can instead pay £900 to train its own marshals.
But Treasurers say they can't afford it, and it's likely the event won't go ahead.
Squadron Treasurer Alan McManus, who has been involved with the squadron for 46 years, told LBC: "We are charity based organisation - even though we are funded by the RAF that only covers the building, uniform and squadron activities. Anything beyond that we have to raise funds ourselves, so for us to even have to pay £200, or £300, it would be money out of our account that we don't have.
"All we can do is lay our wreath, and I guess we'll just walk back along the pavement".
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The small act of remembrance, which involves 30 cadets and six members of staff, lasts around half an hour and requires the closure of Albion Road, near Stoke Newington Town Hall.
Hackney Council told LBC: "In the past, the Squadron has relied on the police to enforce the road closures and manage traffic to ensure it can take place safely and legally.
"However, the police were unable to continue to provide the resources to support this event. Traffic management and road closures are not formal functions the police provide for events, but were previously offered as a gesture of goodwill."
In an email seen by LBC, Hackney Council has informed the squadron: "The police made their position very clear last year that they would step in to help you for 2021 so that the event did not need to be cancelled, but they they would only do so on the proviso that they would not be providing any officers to facilitate the parade for any future events and that the organisers would have to pick this up."
In its correspondence, the council says the reason for this is because "the police and CSAS qualified marshals are the only people legally able to stop traffic and enforce the road closure."
The Squadron therefore faces breaking the law if the event goes ahead without trained marshals.
Mr McManus told LBC: "We're just trying to pay our respects. It's just to march down to our squadron and around the corner to commemorate the 13 members from our squadron who died in WW2.
"It's a shame that we can't do that, but we don't want to break the law. Because we're a military organisation, we can't be seen to be doing that."
In a statement, Hackney Council told LBC it is not stopping the parade taking place and has been trying to find a solution.
A spokesperson said: "The Council has been liaising with the cadets’ commanding officer to help find a solution, including providing information on sourcing traffic marshal training at the lowest available cost for Air Cadet members, with a view to creating a sustainable approach for future parades.
"Qualified traffic marshals would need to be present and sourced from an external traffic management company, or by training group members to become qualified. The Council is not stopping the parade from taking place but it cannot permit a closure without the necessary traffic provisions being in place."
LBC has also heard claims that Hertfordshire Constabulary has adopted a similar approach, with council insiders claiming a lack of police resources is to blame.
In a statement, the Constabulary told LBC: "It is our intention to continue to support this year’s event within our role, but this cannot be guaranteed due to the unpredictable nature of serious/major incidents elsewhere which would require police attendance.
"The responsibility of closing a road in a safe and organised manner lies with event organisers, rather than the police. Police do have the powers to close roads in emergency circumstances, however pre-planned Remembrance Day events do not fit this criteria."
Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Hamer, responsible for local policing in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: "We recognise that Remembrance Day parades are important events to commemorate those who have served our country and sacrificed their lives on our behalf.
"We are honoured each year to represent the Metropolitan Police at the Remembrance Day parade in Hackney Borough and Tower Hamlets Borough, and look forward to doing so again next month.
"Facilitating road closures for parades and other events is not the responsibility of the police though and has a significant impact on our ability to respond to emergency calls in the area.
"Following a review of the available resources, we informed Hackney Council that we were unable to continue to provide a traffic management service.”
Police 'scrap gesture of good will'
