Crisps and Cigarettes...

LINCOLN MAN REMANDED AT GRANTHAM - Friday January 7th 1944

Crimes involving tobacco are a constant issue for law enforcement, revenue and customs officers and Trading Standards officers these days, such as this story https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-35640192 regarding such crime in the south of the county.

As it turns out, my great grandfather dealt with crime centred around Cigarettes too. This story chimed with me for a number of reasons, which I will come back to at the end of the blog.

At 10:30 in the morning, there were multiple deliveries being unloaded at the premises of Messrs Fosters, Tobacconists. One of these deliveries were two parcels of cigarettes, each including 10,000 cigarettes. The other delivery was being undertaken by Mr Alfred Burridge of Brant Road Lincoln, who was delivering crisps to the depot. When the thefts were discovered - the parcels having gone missing - the only other person that had been there at the material time was Mr Burridge.

Detective Officer Bramhall caused Mr Burridge to be arrested in Lincoln later that evening having conducted his enquiries. Also that evening, the stolen merchandise was found at a farm between Lincoln and Sleaford, and while the article doesn't say so, I presume that Mr Burridge confessed and told the detective where to find the goods. Following being charged to court and cautioned, he replied "Yes, that's right".

Weren't criminals a lot more obliging and polite in the 40's? In any case, the Police and Courts weren't particularly impressed, and he was remanded into custody for a week until sentencing was passed.

In this case, the company (Fosters) later had a newsagents at the top of Dysart Road, Grantham for many years. My grandmother worked there in the Post Office (her father being Detective Officer Bramhall), and the shop owner, Mrs Foster, would later become Mayor of Grantham. In fact, she was my reference when I joined the Police many years later. It's a small world!

IN OTHER NEWS: HOME GUARDS CHRISTMAS COMPETITION BRINGS IN £31

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My Nan and I, 1991 when I was a 16 yr old Police Cadet