Police officer's Christmas carol joke fails to amuse

A top officer with West Midlands Police has been ticked off for sending a joke email to more than 8,000 colleagues containing alternative lyrics to the 12 Days of Christmas.

Det Ch Supt Jon Hesketh, head of the force's professional standards department, encouraged colleagues to "sing along" to his version, which was swiftly recalled after some officers complained it was insulting.

The Birmingham-based officer's light-hearted take on the Christmas favourite included lyrics such as "10 failures to investigate", "nine illegal intelligence checks", "three unrealistic expectations" and "an officer suspended in a pear tree."

The festive message was also posted on an internal police website.

One officer, who did not want to be named, said: "The email has caused a great deal of offence for large numbers of staff that work very hard in demanding circumstances.

"Topping off a very difficult 12 months with hundreds of colleagues about to be made redundant or forced to leave in the next few weeks, we are patronised and devalued by the so-called alternative Christmas message."

Andy Gilbert, chairman of West Midlands Police Federation, has asked for a meeting with Mr Hesketh and said officers felt "insulted and very annoyed".

But John Mellor OBE, aged 81, a former superintendent in the West Midlands, of Graiseley in Wolverhampton, said about the message today: "It was good natured but at the wrong time and the wrong place."

Force spokesman Billy Corrigan confirmed the officer had been spoken to and added: "It was intended as a reminder of the professional standards expected of police officers and staff, and the small ways in which the quality of the service we deliver to the public can be affected.

"The author chose to write in a style which he hoped would capture the attention of staff and the spirit of Christmas to get his points across.

"Some staff felt the style of the message was inappropriate and we therefore took the decision to remove it."