Page 46 - Top Cover Issue 4

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/'/14+'5 1(

$41#&9#6'4 (#4/

/'6(4+'0&.; Broadwater’s elevated position and death, Mike – long before the days of
rabbit-warren-like design meant the mobile phones – had to ask a nearby
+5 # /767#. rioters were able to hold the police at bay resident for use of their phone to call his
while raining a seemingly endless barrage wife and reassure her he was alright.
14)#0+5#6+10 5'6 of petrol bombs and other missiles down Mike says he was never scared during

72 61 2418+&' #.. onto their positions. the night as he was too focused on the
Mike’s team were right on the job at hand. However after the riot
/'/$'45 1( 6*' frontline, dodging the fiery bombs and petered out in the early hours and Mike
engaging in exhausting running-battles had returned home he was finally able to
21.+%' 5'48+%' #0& with the mob. Eventually they were reflect with great sobriety, and not a little
relieved and retreated to the rear where shock, on the tumultuous events of the
6*'+4 (#/+.+'5 9+6* one of Mike’s team members was shocked previous hours.

5#8+0)5 +08'56/'06 to discover a bullet hole through his T e tragic events at Broadwater
perspex riot shield. Farm led to many recommendations
#0& 2416'%6+10 Mike then led his team to support and tactical adjustments regarding the
an attempted entry around the side of policing of hostile, rioting crowds and it
241&7%65 the estate where Police and Fire Brigade is a night Mike McAndrew will certainly
were trying to extinguish a fire started never forget.
by the rioters. During the attempt the metfriendly welcomes Mike as our
e have close ties with Officers were ambushed resulting in the new Chairman and know his many
the Police and many tragic death of PC Keith Blakelock, who years of service as an Officer will give
of our staff and Board was attacked by rioters wielding knives an even better Police perspective on
9members are ex-police, and machetes. our operations than before. We are here
and have years of experience serving Mike saw his fellow officer being to serve the best interests of all Police
on the frontlines in the Metropolitan carried from the building and later, as Service members and their families who
Police and beyond. One such person word spread through the ranks, shattered are all eligible for membership with us.
is our new Chairman – former Chief Officers reacted in shock to the news that More information about metfriendly
Superintendent Mike McAndrew. one of their own had been killed. can be found on our website at www.
On Sunday the 6th of October 1985 Concerned that TV and radio would metfriendly.org.uk ■
Mike was an Inspector in charge of a soon be breaking the story of an Officer’s
District Support Unit consisting of 10
Officers and a Sergeant.
T e previous day, on the Broadwater
Farm Estate in Tottenham, the death of
a local woman during a police raid saw
tensions running high. T e next day they
erupted violently as hundreds of youths
ran amok and petrol bombs, rocks and
bricks were hurled at police.
Stationed nearby and listening to
the escalating chaos on his radio, Mike
decided things were spiralling out of
control and decided to head to the scene
with his team. What followed was one of
the most intense nights of Mike’s career.
Over the next 10 hours or so, the police
– ill-equipped, underprepared and under
sustained attack – battled to get control
of the estate.