I ask the question because these days one could be forgiven for thinking that lying is part of a copper's basic training. In fact, it's worse than that because it looks as though the highest ranks in the police service are all 'born-again' lying liars. We have all enjoyed the recent (but ongoing) contretemps between Andrew Mitchell MP and sundry 'Plods' who, after a joint meeting, came out to issue their version of events which bore a startling resemblance to Hans Anderson's fairy tales particularly when it was revealed that the meeting had been recorded. There should have been red faces all round but they train them well at police school!
At the other end of the hierarchy, Guido reports that no less than the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, also appears to have a taste for 'porky pies' which, for the benefit of my foreign readers, is cockney rhyming-slang for 'lies'! According to Guido, this worthy:
[T]old the Home Affairs select committee recently that the Met’s crime figures
had been classified “competent and reliable” by Her Majesty’s Inspector
of Constabulary.
However, yesterday, Her Maj's Inspecter of Constabulary came up in front of the beak the committee and flatly contradicted him!
He’d said he’d looked at the Met’s figures and they showed “cause for
concern”. So perturbed was he that he has written to the Commissioner
asking him to explain.
Right, 'Ogan-'Owe, you're nicked, ya little scrote! And what's that expression about a fish rotting from the head down?