Birmingham's Front Line offers a fascinating and unique insight into police culture and the problems faced by those on the thin blue line during a tumultuous time in Britain's second city. Containing accounts from the author and his former colleagues of robberies, rapes and murders, these true stories will shock and stun as the author reveals the tools and tactics used to combat the violence, bribery and general disregard of law and order encountered every day as the police fought to bring these criminals to justice. Covering the period from 1976 to 1988, Birmingham city centre represented a microcosm of criminal activity throughout the United Kingdom in this period - at one end of the spectrum, hardened armed robbers out to make a fast and brutal buck; at the other, the punks, bikers and skinheads just looking for the cheap thrill of mindless violence. Hooliganism was rife, and the notorious Zulu Warriors were always sure to make their presence felt. Relationships with informants are described, and the author gives an inside view of the world of criminal intelligence, as well as explaining how, after much strife, police and criminals learnt to co-exist in the Midlands.

About the Author
Michael Layton reached the rank of Chief Superintendent before serving with the Sovereign Bases Police in Cyprus, eventually returning to the British Transport Police. He was awarded the Queens Police Medal for distinguished police service. He has written several books on the subject of policing the rail network and football violence.

Reviews
'All of our police forces have a colourful and chequered past - in some respects the West Midlands force enjoys a certain notoriety... an absolutely fascinating slice of social history.' -- Books Monthly August 2016
'This is a revealing account of the realities of CID work, juggling with a number of enquiries simultaneously, unlike TV detectives who only ever deal with one case at a time.' -- Police History Society Newsletter 88 of September 2016



Book Information
ISBN 9781445657875
Author Michael Layton
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Amberley Publishing
Publisher Amberley Publishing
Weight(grams) 324g