Now that IS helpful, flipster, thanks very much!
However, while it clarifies the current rules (which answers a large part of my question) it doesn't tell us what prompted the "police primacy" policy. I'm fairly sure that in my day the police would be called in if there was a need, but not as SOP. Did it come from politicians? The police? Surely not the RAF itself. Can anyone help with that? Is there a History-of-Air Force-Legal-Procedures scholar out there?
Last edited by keithl; 8th Jul 2012 at 20:58.