Sunday Express drivel

[Steve Davies]

Anyone else read the tripe by the Sunday Express Investigations Editor on his foray to the hairdresser at Boscombe Down and subsequent tour of the base?

Granted, I thought that his point about sneaking a bomb in was valid, but he went too far when he remarked that he could half inch a Harrier if he had the 'grounding of a pilot'. Very funny.

What an arse.:p

[InFinRetirement]

If the haircut 'pass' is true - I bet it isn't now! :D

[sprucemoose]

I quite agree, and think that QinetiQ's guards should have the right to shoot the idiot if he ever goes back there. I didn't really follow his supposition that the "RAF's top secret missile test base" is open to a 911-style attack because he could drive about unchallenged for 20 minutes.

Am I right in thinking that his 'Boscombe has Europe's longest runway' statement was bo!!ocks, and is there really a seized MiG-21, or is he talking about the Lightning?

Rubbish newspaper, rubbish hack - idiots like him give journalists a bad name.:mad:

[Man-on-the-fence]

Spruce

The MIG-21 is actually in the museum set up in one of the HAS's a few years ago. It was presented to the Ben Fund by the Slovak Air Force at an IAT a few years back, eventually bought by a private individual and loaned to the museum.

[Chris Kebab]

Peered into a discarded Express today - what a crock that paper is. Armed Apaches!! Guffaw, guffaw... Hope he didn't try and snatch a shot of the Harvard or Basset which only come out once the satellite has passed!

Have had several fine trims at the hands of Richard when I was a regular visitor - he does a fine job. I think the barber actually resides in the RAF part of the site and is FA to do with QinetiQ (although I suspect they have to pay the MoD plods).

And as I recall the last time I looked the "Mig" adjacent to his shop was in fact a Lightning T.5.

It does make you wonder what other $hite the press palm off as the truth.

[Talking Radalt]

It's enough to make you want to "almost" spin them a yarn just to see if they'll bite. Get it in to print, then see how THEY like it when their distant little world of crappy, second rate, high school tabloid tit-funded comic book journo-sensationalism is invaded for no other reason than to prove a much-contrived point.

Piers Morgan.....(you beady eyed, crinkly haired ****), we know where you live.:p

[Jimlad]

A lotof the rubbish that that paper posts have been based on posts here as the reporters often quote PPRune in their articles. Shame they can't write the truth, but what do you expect from a journalist?

[fobotcso]

Look out! Jacko's about!

[Beeayeate]

Talking R said. . .
It's enough to make you want to "almost" spin them a yarn just to see if they'll bite.

But then they would merely turn it around to make it read as if they were making your story public as an example of the dissaffection / mendacity / lack of moral fibre / etc in the services today. Would end up as a witch-hunt because the media is tranistory by definition - and is NEVER wrong! Anyway, they [and the vast majority of the UK public] will have forgotten the gist of the thrust of your tale-spin by the time tomorrow's edition comes out with their spin on your tale.

And with most of the tabloids, if your tale hasn't got big boobs in it nobody will notice.




their

[Steve Davies]

Jimlad,

We aren't all like him, you know!:p

[Jackonicko]

Yeah, don't tar all journos with the same brush, please.

[Matt Black]

Cannot comment on the article itself, as I haven't read it, but judging from the comments here, I presume it is not up to the usual "high" standard of tabloid reporting.

I can however comment on QinetiQ's security, since I have operated out of BD and Farnborough. It would not be appropiate for me to comment on a public forum about QinetiQ's specific procedures, but I would say that if they spent less time harrassing the staff on base with radar guns and speed traps, or taking ages to renew clearances, and a bit more time dealing with the casual visitors, they might not have let this particular reporter through.

[canberra]

saw the article and almost wet myself with laughter. there was a pompous letter yesterday from someone who i think was ex national service saying that he thought guarding raf stations was what the raf regiment was for. and since when was boscombe down an raf station? as a final point when you deal with mod plods dont you miss the raf police?