Widdecombe's walk on the wild side

Ann Widdecombe goes out on patrol in America

By New York correspondent Jane Hughes

When Ann Widdecombe ventured out onto the mean streets of Harlem to look at police tactics New York style, the last thing she probably expected to encounter was an avid Spice Girls fan.

But as she launched herself into the crime ridden neighbourhood she found herself interrogated by a young girl with no interest in the local drugs problem, and even less curiosity about the lessons Harlem had to offer.

All the Conservative shadow home secretary wanted to know about was the relative merits of Scary Spice and Baby Spice.

In her tomato red suit, and wielding a fearsome handbag, Ann Widdecombe presented a spectacle totally alien to many of the local residents.

"As you can see, you're attracting a lot of attention," her escort, Sergeant Kevin Alexander pointed out, not afraid to state the obvious. But Miss Widdecombe, determined to seek out lessons for police in Britain, persisted.

Miss Widdecombe liked the American idea of police stations in shops

A group of Dominican teenagers hanging out on a street corner seemed almost lost for words as she interrogated them in her unmistakably English tones about crime levels in their area.

"How do you find law and order in New York?" she demanded. "Is it safe here?" In a street where it's considered inadvisable to venture out after dark they seemed a bit nonplussed at that. "No robberies?" she persisted. "No violence?"

"No," muttered the youngsters, but when she asked "no drugs?" they were forced to admit that actually, yes, the area is drug-ridden.

Enthusiasm

Boundlessly enthusiastic, and perhaps anxious to steer her away from any encounters with the local drugs dealers lurking in doorways, Sergeant Alexander led her over to a police officer patrolling the area.

"I'm over here to look at law and order in New York," Miss Widdecombe explained, pumping his arm up and down. "So how's it going? Any trouble down here today?"

"It's going well," replied the officer warily. "It's been pretty quiet."

Questions for a security man at a downtown supermarket

"That's good, that's good," responded Miss Widdecombe, a trace of disappointment evident in her face. "So what's the worst thing that's ever happened to you as a cop?"

But if she was hoping to elicit a juicy tale of policing in the big bad apple, she was in for even more of a disappointment.

"I don't really have too many bad experiences," admitted the fresh-faced officer. "I just got out of the police academy in February."

Worse in Hackney

As she was ushered back to the safety of the NYPD police van, Ann Widdecombe must have felt Harlem had let her down. No violence, no war stories, not even much dereliction. "I've seen worse in Hackney," she admitted.

Perhaps she should have gone back after dark. But Sergeant Alexander might have warned against that.