Knaresborough’s former crime commissioner Philip Allott is leading a new national charity that will support victims of crimes committed by emergency service staff.

Blue Light Whistle Blowers is in the process of being registered as a charitable incorporated organisation by the Charity Commission.

It will support victims of crimes committed by staff in policing, ambulance trusts and fire and rescue services and advise them on pursuing whistleblowing allegations but will not investigate claims itself.

The organisation, which is seeking a chief executive, aims to generate £100,000 a year to fund its work.

Mr Allott, who resigned as the Conservative North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner in 2021 following comments about the murder of Sarah Everard, said he decided to get involved because emergency services crimes were under-reported.

A telephone hotline and online portal will be set up this year to enable victims to confidentially report wrongdoing.

The organisation said in a statement:

“The charity aims to be the voice of victims and their families and won’t hesitate where necessary to challenge the status quo.

“The charity aim is to hold chief constables, chief fire officers and ambulance trusts to account for these crimes and will produce league tables highlighting the best and worst affected services within the country.”

The service is due to go live in the autumn, initially based on a number of areas including London before it is rolled out nationally.

Bob Blackman (left) and Philip Allott

Mr Allott, chair of the organisation, said:

“Blue Light Whistle Blowers has been set up to be the voice of the voiceless and the silenced. Whistleblowers will support the victims and give them a voice, as for too long they have received little if any support.”

Those involved met MPs and peers, including Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones and Lord Harrogate Timothy Kirkhope at the House of Commons last month, at an event sponsored by Bob Blackman MP, the Conservative MP for Harrow East.

The main picture shows the trustees with Andrew Jones MP. They are (left to right) Tim Cook, Kathy Cox, Guy Phoenix, Philip Allott, Andrew Jones and Adele Winkley.

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Harrogate district residents are being urged to tell police chiefs about their experiences of the non-emergency 101 and emergency 999 services.

It follows long-running concerns in the district about the length of time it takes to answer the calls.

The police contact survey opened on Wednesday and runs until June 26.

The survey, run by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, will inform police forces, the Home Office and local crime commissioners on any challenges around reporting to the police.

Participants answer questions testing their understanding of emergency and non-emergency reporting systems, as well as newly emerging ways of contacting the police, like web chat, online forms and messaging over social media.

Zoë Metcalfe

Zoë Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said:

“Reporting to 101 and 999 remains a challenging area of business for police forces across the country. The needs of those making contact must be understood, and we must prioritise those most in need.

“I have expressed my concerns to the Chief Constable regarding poor call handling times. The Chief Constable and I are committed to significantly improving the customer contact experience and call handling times, and will monitor performance closely with the aim to improve the service as a priority. This will also include the call-waiting times for the non-emergency 101 service.”

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Ms Metcalfe’s predecessor, Philip Allott, was told by North Yorkshire county councillors last year that the non-emergency line was “not fit for purpose and it hasn’t been fit for purpose for the last eight years” and that “the phone just doesn’t get answered”.

Ms Metcalfe will discuss North Yorkshire’s force control room’s performance in her next public accountability meeting on Tuesday.

Members of the public can submit questions in advance of the meeting via email to info@northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk. They should include their name and address.

You can take part in the public contact survey here.

Knaresborough man and former police commissioner Philip Allott has written a book on marketing.

Integrated Business to Business Marketing provides “a complete blueprint for success in communicating promotional messages in the digital age”.

Mr Allott, who founded PR company Allott and Associates in 1994, said the book builds on his “40 years of practical experience” of marketing.

It is written for business owners, directors and marketing managers in the UK and abroad and covers topics such as how material written for press releases can be used for social media platforms and e-newsletters.

Mr Allott is a former leader of the Conservatives on Harrogate Borough Council and a former Mayor of Knaresborough who stood unsuccessfully in several general elections for the Conservative Party.

He was elected North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner in May last year but resigned in October in the wake of comments about the murder of Sarah Everard.

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Mr Allott is also the author of The Donkeyman, which was published in 2007. It talks about the life and times of his donkey-breeding father, who was known as Donkey Dave.

His new book, which is distributed by John Hunt Publishing, will be available from next month on Amazon and at Waterstones.