Former Edinburgh MP John Barrett visited by police to assure him stabbing threats are taken seriously

Former city MP John Barrett says he has been assured that police attitudes and procedures have changed since he was told 15 years ago nothing could be done about a teenager who threatened to stab him.
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Two CID officers visited him at his home after the Evening News told on Wednesday how around 2005 Mr Barrett, then Lib Dem MP for Edinburgh West, had gone to Corstorphine police station to report the incident, only to be turned away and told the youngster would have to attack him before action could be taken.

Mr Barrett said: “They were quite reassuring that what happened back then would not happen now and that they would investigate a verbal threat, it doesn’t need to have become physical.”

John Barrett was visited at home by policeJohn Barrett was visited at home by police
John Barrett was visited at home by police
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He spoke out about his experience in the wake of the fatal stabbing last Friday lunchtime of Sir David Amess, Tory MP for Southend West, as he conducted a constituency surgery at Leigh-on-Sea. The killing shocked politicians of all parties and prompted heartfelt tributes to the popular and long-serving MP. A 25-year-old man has now been charged with his murder.

Mr Barrett told the News on Wednesday how a teenager on a bike, whom he had never met before, came up to him outside his constituency office in Drum Brae Avenue, started abusing him and threatened to stab him. "The police said there was nothing they could do until he stabbed me. They were totally not interested."

He had taken a photograph of the boy, who was aged 16 or 17, and he showed it to the police but they said it would be difficult to identify him – even though Mr Barrett’s daughter, who was roughly the same age, said “everyone” knew him.

But now Mr Barrett says he is pleased to know that the response to a similar incident would be very different today.

He has no wish to make a complaint.

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“All I was hoping was that things are no longer like that. They said the world had moved on a lot. I was quite happy to leave it like that,” he said.

“I have been assured that the response is completely different now and they said it doesn’t need to escalate into physical violence, they will take threats seriously.”

Police Scotland has said it is organising virtual safety briefings for MPs and MSPs as a matter of priority following Sir David’s killing.

Chief Superintendent Sean Scott, divisional commander for Edinburgh, said: “We are currently making efforts to ensure that all elected representatives are aware of the relevant safety advice following the death of Sir David Amess MP and, while there is no specific threat to Scotland, we are working closely with UK policing colleagues to ensure all MSPs and MPs are aware of relevant personal safety advice.

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“Any reports of threats, or malicious communication, from any member of the public will be treated with the utmost seriousness and fully investigated. I would encourage anyone with concerns, or wishing to report a crime, to contact us at their earliest convenience. We are currently engaging with elected representatives to discuss individual security arrangements further with them.”

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Former Edinburgh MP tells how police failed to act over stabbing threat

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