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| George Churchill-Coleman, who has died aged 76 following a car accident, was the public face of Scotland Yard’s battle with the IRA in the 1980s and early 90s. An old-school detective with a military bearing, he was for many years a main target for the IRA and became a familiar figure at the scenes of bombings. | George Churchill-Coleman, who has died aged 76 following a car accident, was the public face of Scotland Yard’s battle with the IRA in the 1980s and early 90s. An old-school detective with a military bearing, he was for many years a main target for the IRA and became a familiar figure at the scenes of bombings. |
| Appointed head of the Metropolitan police’s anti-terrorist branch in 1985 and national coordinator of terrorist investigations in 1990, he was at the forefront of the investigations to find those responsible for such incidents as the murder of Margaret Thatcher’s close friend Ian Gow MP (1990), the mortar attack on Downing Street (1991), and the City bombings targeting the London Stock Exchange (1990) and the Baltic Exchange (1992). | Appointed head of the Metropolitan police’s anti-terrorist branch in 1985 and national coordinator of terrorist investigations in 1990, he was at the forefront of the investigations to find those responsible for such incidents as the murder of Margaret Thatcher’s close friend Ian Gow MP (1990), the mortar attack on Downing Street (1991), and the City bombings targeting the London Stock Exchange (1990) and the Baltic Exchange (1992). |
| The arrival on the scene of the tall, upright figure of Commander Churchill-Coleman, in immaculate white shirt, was an indication of the seriousness of an event. | The arrival on the scene of the tall, upright figure of Commander Churchill-Coleman, in immaculate white shirt, was an indication of the seriousness of an event. |
| Churchill-Coleman was born in Weybridge, Surrey. Both his parents died when he was still very young and he lodged for a while with a police officer before joining the army at the age of 18, serving in the military police. He moved as a constable in 1960 to the Met, where a reputation for painstaking investigation saw him rise through the detective ranks. | Churchill-Coleman was born in Weybridge, Surrey. Both his parents died when he was still very young and he lodged for a while with a police officer before joining the army at the age of 18, serving in the military police. He moved as a constable in 1960 to the Met, where a reputation for painstaking investigation saw him rise through the detective ranks. |
| While in the fraud squad, he was involved in the corruption inquiry into the architect John Poulson and the Scottish Office civil servant, George Pottinger, whom Poulson had bribed; both men were convicted and jailed in 1974. For a while Churchill-Coleman was in charge of CID administration at the Met, and he was also involved in the Iranian embassy siege (1980). It was when he was appointed head of the anti-terrorist branch that he became a public figure. | While in the fraud squad, he was involved in the corruption inquiry into the architect John Poulson and the Scottish Office civil servant, George Pottinger, whom Poulson had bribed; both men were convicted and jailed in 1974. For a while Churchill-Coleman was in charge of CID administration at the Met, and he was also involved in the Iranian embassy siege (1980). It was when he was appointed head of the anti-terrorist branch that he became a public figure. |
| The IRA was very active at the time, and there was heavy pressure on Churchill-Coleman to find those responsible for the attacks. He was outspoken in his criticism of the IRA’s tactics, notably over the explosion at Victoria station in 1991 when the police received a coded warning that bombs would go off at all the London mainline stations in 45 minutes’ time. A commuter was killed 40 minutes later, when a bomb hidden in a litter-bin exploded. Churchill-Coleman said that the IRA warnings had not given the police enough time to act. | The IRA was very active at the time, and there was heavy pressure on Churchill-Coleman to find those responsible for the attacks. He was outspoken in his criticism of the IRA’s tactics, notably over the explosion at Victoria station in 1991 when the police received a coded warning that bombs would go off at all the London mainline stations in 45 minutes’ time. A commuter was killed 40 minutes later, when a bomb hidden in a litter-bin exploded. Churchill-Coleman said that the IRA warnings had not given the police enough time to act. |
| Departing from the post after seven years, the longest period anyone had held the office, he was angered by a suggestion in the Sunday Express that he had been pushed out of the job because the home secretary at the time, Kenneth Clarke, was unhappy with his performance. He sued for libel and won substantial damages in 1993. He was appointed OBE a year later. He was one of many senior Met officers who were members of the Manor of St James freemasons’ lodge at that time. | Departing from the post after seven years, the longest period anyone had held the office, he was angered by a suggestion in the Sunday Express that he had been pushed out of the job because the home secretary at the time, Kenneth Clarke, was unhappy with his performance. He sued for libel and won substantial damages in 1993. He was appointed OBE a year later. He was one of many senior Met officers who were members of the Manor of St James freemasons’ lodge at that time. |
| His new role from 1992 was as head of the Metropolitan and City police company fraud department, investigating corruption in the City. | His new role from 1992 was as head of the Metropolitan and City police company fraud department, investigating corruption in the City. |
| In 1993, he went as a foreign independent adviser to South Africa to help in the investigation of the murder of Chris Hani, a leading African National Congress official. He retired in 1995 and acted for a while as a security consultant. | In 1993, he went as a foreign independent adviser to South Africa to help in the investigation of the murder of Chris Hani, a leading African National Congress official. He retired in 1995 and acted for a while as a security consultant. |
| He had firm views about how far the police’s authority should be allowed to go, and was critical, after he left his post, of politicians who sought to extend powers of detention. When the then home secretary, Charles Clarke, argued for greater powers to combat terrorism, Churchill-Coleman told the Guardian: “I have a horrible feeling that we are sinking into a police state, and that’s not good for anybody … You cannot lock people up just because someone says they are terrorists. Internment didn’t work in Northern Ireland, it won’t work now.” | He had firm views about how far the police’s authority should be allowed to go, and was critical, after he left his post, of politicians who sought to extend powers of detention. When the then home secretary, Charles Clarke, argued for greater powers to combat terrorism, Churchill-Coleman told the Guardian: “I have a horrible feeling that we are sinking into a police state, and that’s not good for anybody … You cannot lock people up just because someone says they are terrorists. Internment didn’t work in Northern Ireland, it won’t work now.” |
| He enjoyed the respect and loyalty of his colleagues, not always the case for high-flying police officers, and had a reputation for not jumping to conclusions but asking, “Where’s the evidence?” One former colleague described him as “thoughtful, full of integrity, a good man all round” and the outgoing president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Sir Hugh Orde, a former colleague, spoke of him as “one of those consummate policemen whose integrity, personal warmth and dedication to duty were never in doubt”. | He enjoyed the respect and loyalty of his colleagues, not always the case for high-flying police officers, and had a reputation for not jumping to conclusions but asking, “Where’s the evidence?” One former colleague described him as “thoughtful, full of integrity, a good man all round” and the outgoing president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Sir Hugh Orde, a former colleague, spoke of him as “one of those consummate policemen whose integrity, personal warmth and dedication to duty were never in doubt”. |
| He was a recipient of the Queen’s Police Medal. Possibly because of his own background, he was heavily involved in the Metropolitan and City police orphans fund. He is survived by a son, Richard, and a daughter, Jane, from his first marriage; and by a son, Harry, and two daughters, Lucy and Emma, from the second. Both marriages ended in divorce. | He was a recipient of the Queen’s Police Medal. Possibly because of his own background, he was heavily involved in the Metropolitan and City police orphans fund. He is survived by a son, Richard, and a daughter, Jane, from his first marriage; and by a son, Harry, and two daughters, Lucy and Emma, from the second. Both marriages ended in divorce. |
| • Kenneth George Churchill-Coleman, police officer, born 17 November 1938; died 10 January 2015 | • Kenneth George Churchill-Coleman, police officer, born 17 November 1938; died 10 January 2015 |