THE year was 1978 and Birmingham was again faced with political protests that turned violent. In the second part of an ongoing series, Crime Files delves into the annual report of the Chief Constable to see how the crimefighters of West Midlands Police coped.

THE sight of thousands of police officers lining the streets of Digbeth was striking.

The street itself was deserted of the public – but it was soon to become the battleground as anti-fascist demonstrators targeted a meeting of right-wing supporters.

The year was 1978 and the violence became known as the ‘Battle of Digbeth’.

The year before had seen the right-wing National Front challenge the accepted politics of the region, however their presence had led to a series of violent clashes.

In February 1978, the Young National Front organised a meeting at Digbeth Town Hall.

Those opposed to them decided to hold a counter demonstration.

And the police were stuck in the middle.

For while the party’s politics were dubious, the Front had a democratic right to meet and the police lined the streets to prevent opposing factions from fighting.

The striking image, shown above, highlighted how concerned senior officers were of the threat outbreaks of violence.

They weren’t wrong.

And they used all the technology at their disposal to deal with the mob.

Writing in his annual report, the then Chief Constable Philip Knights said: “Quite serious public disorder took place on this occasion when police officers forming part of the cordon outside the Civic Hall were subjected to a barrage of missiles, which not only caused quite severe injuries to several police officers, but also necessitated the use of shields and visors as a means of protecting officers from much more serious injury.

“The majority of demonstrators on this occasion proceeded peacefully, but a group of about 300 not only attacked the police but also caused considerable damage to buildings and motor vehicles in the locality of Digbeth.”

The Chief Constable said it was necessary to cancel all leave and deploy 2,210 officers to the police the protests.

Officers were also drafted in from the neighbouring forces of Warwickshire, West Mercia and Staffordshire.

While the sight of the West Midlands Police helicopter hovering in the skies above Birmingham is a common sight for many these days, this wasn’t the case three decades ago.