143: Police - Marc

by Marc Boxer in "The Guardian" 15 May 1984

Police entrapment was now a commonplace. And so Marc can have his characters toss off this rather jaded observation of the current state of affairs. This is all inspired by the particular case of Keith Hampson (see below). What may be even more interesting is the three characters on display: a slightly paunchy but twinkly-eyed clone in check shirt, what I assume is supposed to a Radclyffe Hall-type lesbian, and the dinner-jacketed policeman in the background. This is a very odd selection –particularly since Marc is usually prided for his observation of social styles and groups.

Keith Hampson, the Conservative MP for Leeds, was arrested by a plain-clothes policeman at the Gay Theatre Club (a male striptease show) in Berwick Street, Soho on 3 May 1984.
Hampson was charged with indecent assault but after much media attention the charge was eventually dropped in October. This incident provoked an outcry by many against the practice of police entrapment. Even Tories defended Hampson, and an editorial in “The Times” claimed that the public might wish “to see even homosexuals fairly treated”