A COMPLAINT about a “rough” haircut was logged as a “hate” incident by cops.
In the barmy case, the upset punter blamed an argument about Ukraine for a bad trim.
Police have probed ‘hate’ complaints including one about a dodgy haircut[/caption]
Other so-called non-crime hate incidents logged by police include a German woman upset about being likened to a rottweiler.
It comes as the cash-strapped Met faces axing 2,000 cops who could catch real criminals, and only opening stations from 9am-5pm.
Last night Essex Police dropped a hate probe into journalist Allison Pearson over a year-old post — but only after putting her through 12 days of anguish.
Meanwhile, a customer contacted cops to say his barber was “aggressive and rough” because he spoke Russian.
Similar bizarre cases saw officers called over a neighbour in a hedge dispute who said it was homophobic to brand him “Leonard”.
As Britain’s biggest police force faces axing 2,000 cops, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “The police should not waste any valuable time on incidents like this.
“There is plenty of real crime they should be preventing and solving.
Aggressive haircut is not a police matter
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp
“An aggressively-administered haircut is not a police matter.
“The police should only spend time investigating or recording actual criminal allegations or incidents where there is a real and imminent risk of criminality subsequently occurring.
“The Government needs to urgently update the guidance to ensure this is the case.
“This nonsense undermines confidence in policing.”
A staggering 13,000 non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) were recorded in the year to June.
These are cases where no criminal offence has been committed, but the person reporting an incident feels it was motivated by hostility or prejudice.
The Lithuanian haircut “victim” claimed he was targeted because he spoke Russian.
A City of London Police log of the incident, seen by The Sun, said: “Barber asked him about the present situation in Ukraine, victim stated that all conversations with the barber were fine, but he stated that the barber was aggressive and rough whilst he was cutting his hair.
“The victim believes this was because he spoke Russian and is a hate incident.”
Similar bizarre cases saw officers called to a woman offended by being compared to a rottweiler[/caption]
Ex-Met detective Peter Bleksley said: “This is ridiculous and shows how disconnected police are from what the public want.
“No wonder there is a crimewave in this country. The guidelines suggest you should only intervene in cases like this where there is fear of escalation — who ever had a fear of escalation after a bad haircut?!”
It was unclear if City of London Police spoke to the hairdresser.
A force spokesman said: “The report was made online and later withdrawn.”
Essex Police logged 96 NCHIs in a year, including one where the “suspect has told two men to stop kissing”.
Wiltshire cops investigated an incident where a person in the street said others were mocking the length of their hair.
The rottweiler “racial abuse” complaint was made to Cambridgeshire Police from a woman in a parking dispute with a neighbour.
A person in South Yorkshire said they were the victim of homophobic abuse in a row over a privet hedge when a neighbour called him a “Leonard”.
A person in South Yorkshire said they were the victim of homophobic abuse in a row over a private hedge when a neighbour called him a ‘Leonard’[/caption]
In West Yorkshire cops recorded a case where a person with Blue Badge disabled parking claimed Facebook posts referred to her being physically active.
In 2021, a man was investigated for “racial hatred” for whistling the Bob the Builder tune at his neighbour.
Officers in Bedfordshire recorded it as an NCHI, which can remain on file for six years and, in some cases, be disclosed to a prospective employer.
Another barmy case saw a swimming teacher in West Yorkshire probed after a mother said her son had been allowed to bang his head against the side of the pool “due to his ethnicity”.
Retired Sussex Det Chief Supt Kevin Moore told The Sun: “It is no good police complaining they have insufficient resources when they are wasting valuable time recording, then potentially investigating, such ridiculous matters.
“It is high time His Majesty’s Inspectorate stepped in to stop the recording of non-crime hate incidents. Either a matter is a crime or it is not. If it isn’t then police should not be involved.”
Reform MP Lee Anderson added: “Our police have lost control of our streets, and now their bosses have lost control of their minds.
“Police should be investigating proper crimes not people who have hurt someone’s feelings. I long for the days when we had respect for our boys in blue.”
‘2,000 officers axe’
Exclusive By Mike Sullivan
BRITAIN’S biggest police force is set to lose 2,000 officers as a result of swingeing budget cuts.
And 400 civilian staff jobs could go as the Met slashes £450million from annual finances.
Some London police stations will reduce opening hours to the public from 9am to 5pm.
The 12.8 per cent reduction from this year’s £3.5billion budget is worse than “eye-watering” cuts feared by Met boss Sir Mark Rowley.
Figures for the new budget are due to be announced at 11pm tonight by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, alongside some of the tough measures that must be taken.
Matt Cane, of the Police Federation, warned: “As we have said time and again, cuts have consequences. These will clearly have a significant impact on the Met’s ability to police London.”
And retired Met Chief Supt Simon Ovens warned the cuts could mean the final straw for officers considering other careers.
The Met is already projected to be down to 32,750 officers by March from its operating strength of 35,415.
The loss of an additional 2,000 cops during the incoming financial year from April would put the force back to 2013 levels.
Sir Mark said last week he was “deeply troubled” by talks over the annual settlement.
He said the capital’s spending on policing per head of population was already lower than cities such as New York and Sydney.
This week Home Secretary Yvette Cooper promised a crackdown on shoplifting, phone theft and anti-social behaviour.
She pledged £500million for more cops, though did not specify if the figure included inflation rises.
The Met said: “We maintain a productive dialogue with the Mayor and Home Office. No final decisions have been made.”
