:
CYNER/CAT A
RO INE HONG KONG
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 233
18 MARCH 1969
.FIDENTIAL TELEGRAM 233 OF 19 MARCH.
GRENADA T.V. FILM.
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES N. 3
1 9 MART 1989-
{AKK 13/19
IN CONNECTION WITH A 'WORLD IN ACTION' FILM ON THE HONG KONG POLICE
FORCE WHICH I UNDERSTAND WAS SHEWN ON GRENADA TELEVISION ON 17TH
MARCH, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE HAS REPORTED ON THE TEAM WHJCH MADE THIS FILM UNDER THE DIRECTION OF RUSSELL KAY
SPURR, THE PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE SERIES. FOLLOWING IS AN EXTRACT
FROM THIS REPORT.
CTOR
'ON THE 24TH FEBRUARY, 1969, THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES
RECEIVED, IN CONFIDENCE, A REPORT THAT, AT A PARTY IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE SAME DAY, SPURR HAD MENTIONED THAT WHILST HIS TEAM WAS.
FILMING THE OFFICIAL SIDE OF POLICE LIFE, ANOTHER TEAM, COMPOSED
OF AN ASSISTANT FROM THE RESEARCH DIVISION OF THE HEAD OFFICE
OF GRANADA T.V. AND TWO LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHERS, WERE COVERTLY TAKING
FILMS DESIGNED TO SHOW THE POLICE IN A BAD LIGHT, PARTICULARLY OVER,
CORRUPTION. THIS SECOND TEAM WAS REPORTEDLY SENT ON ITS ASSIGNMENT
BY THE HEAD OF THE GRANADA T.V. RESEARCH DIVISION WHOSE NAME IS
UNKNOWN BUT WHO, SPURR COMMENTED, WAS A 'MAO BADGE CARRYING
COMMUNIST'. SUBSEQUENT ENQUIRIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE SECOND TEAM WAS
LED BY BRIAN BLAKE.'
1
2. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS FILM (WHOSE CONTENTS WE ONLY KNOW FROM
A FAIRLY BRIEF REUTER REPORT, WHICH MAY NOT GIVE A BALANCED
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM) SET OUT DELIBERATELY TO DISCREDIT THE POLICE
FORCE, AND, IT SEEMS VERY POSSIBLE, FROM POLITICAL MOTIVES.
•
Fute
L.P.D. LAO
·200.
IRO
COVERNOR
iv..
P.uso.
SENT 0955Z/13 MARCH
RECD 1080Z/18 MARCH
42