According to yesterday’s Sunday Times, nearly £70 million worth of injuries compensation has been claimed by police officers over the last 4 years. These figures were released by the Police Federation of England and Wales, the trade union of police officers, so they are hardly likely to be an over-exaggeration. MPs (the pot calling the kettle?) have expressed outrage at this latest manifestation of our corrupt “compensation culture” but is it really “news” in the true sense of the word?

Well, it certainly isn’t news to me. I can remember, when I practised criminal law back in the 1980s, that a large number of police officers, usually in their mid-forties, took early retirement because of a “bad back”. It was so common that it became a standing joke. In Greater Manchester the police even had their own “tame” consultant surgeon who would sign officers on to the sick and/or permanent retirement seemingly at the drop of a hat or maybe something more valuable. I can still remember his name but I’d better not disclose it just in case he’s still alive and sipping cocktails in his Caribbean villa!

From what I learned, it wasn’t just limited to Greater Manchester and a fair proportion of our guardians of law and order, nationwide,  have been taking the mickey for a number years. This latest scandal is simply a continuation of a long running story and has come to the fore because a Norfolk police woman is allegedly threatening to sue a garage owner for compensation following a fall at his premises whilst investigating a suspected  burglary.

What is it about our society? They’re all at it, not just the police. We’ve got  MPs fiddling expenses, local politicians in the pockets of property developers, tax-avoiding fat-cat businessmen hoarding billions of pounds in off shore accounts, and benefit frauds screwing the system. Is it any wonder that so many of our youngsters are so disenchanted and demoralised by the world around them?

I’m afraid it’s very difficult these days to be anything other than mistrustful and cynical. The truth of the matter is that, when judging people in positions of power and authority, the default setting is corrupt until proven otherwise. How sad.