Brodie Clark
Encyclopedia
Robert Brodie Clark CBE
is a British
civil servant, and former head of the UK Border Force, a part of the UK Border Agency
.
in 1973 as assistant governor HM Borstal Wetherby, from 1977 to 1981 he was at Acklington prison
and from 1981 to 1994 had appointments as governor at Gartree
, Bedford
and Woodhill
prisons. In 1994 he was appointed governor at Whitemoor
top security jail.
He was governor of Whitemoor in 1994, when six prisoners including Paul Magee
and other IRA
members, escaped from the prison's Special Secure Unit after smuggling a gun into the prison. All were later recaptured.
In 1999, he was made the new director of high security prisons at the Prison Service, and from 2000 to 2003 held the post of director of security, Prison Service.
, which was managed by Group 4. In February 2002, the building was burnt down following a protest by the detainees, triggered by someone being physically restrained by staff. When the fires started the Head of Group 4 security ordered all staff to exit the building, locking the detainees inside the timber framed building, resulting in five people being injured in the fire.
By April 2008 he had attained his most recent position as head of the UK Border Force in the new UK Border Agency, and was awarded a CBE
in the 2010 New Year Honours
.
gave permission for the UK Border Force to relax controls on the procedures relating to persons entering the United Kingdom on European passports, to facilitate the management of queues. This procedure was then extended to non-EU citizens, a move which Home Secretary Theresa May
said had been undertaken without her knowledge. The Home Office suspended Clark, and carried out a precautionary suspension for those he supervised: Carole Upshall, director of the Border Force South and Europe ; and Graeme Kyle, director of operations at Heathrow Airport. The BBC
reported that staff may have been told not to scan biometric passport
s at certain times. These contain a digital image of the holder's face which can be used to compare with the printed version and check the passport has not been forged. It is also believed that "warning index checks" at Heathrow Airport and the port of Calais
, which would have applied strict security checks against official watchlists of terrorists, criminals, and deported illegal immigrants were also suspended.
Clark is reported by The Guardian as claiming that when Rob Whiteman
, the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency, suspended him he was initially "offered the chance to retire quietly with a package including nine months' pay, £101,000, and a good reference". He was subsequently informed after accepting the offer that the package had been withdrawn and that he was to be suspended pending an investigation.
Three investigations are being undertaken:
On 8 November 2011 Clark formally resigned from the UK Border Agency insisting that comments made by the Home Secretary, Theresa May
amounted to constructive dismissal and that he would launch legal proceedings.
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
is a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
civil servant, and former head of the UK Border Force, a part of the UK Border Agency
UK Border Agency
The UK Border Agency is the border control body of the United Kingdom government and part of the Home Office. It was formed on 1 April 2008 by a merger of the Border and Immigration Agency , UKvisas and the Detection functions of HM Revenue and Customs...
.
HM Prison Service
Clark started his career in Her Majesty's Prison ServiceHer Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service is a part of the National Offender Management Service of the Government of the United Kingdom tasked with managing most of the prisons within England and Wales...
in 1973 as assistant governor HM Borstal Wetherby, from 1977 to 1981 he was at Acklington prison
Acklington (HM Prison)
HM Prison Acklington is a Category C men's prison, located near the village of Acklington a few miles from Amble), in Northumberland, England. Acklington Prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service....
and from 1981 to 1994 had appointments as governor at Gartree
Gartree (HM Prison)
HM Prison Gartree is a Category B men's prison, located in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England. Gartree is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
, Bedford
Bedford (HM Prison)
HMP Bedford is a Category B men's prison, located in the Harpur area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
and Woodhill
Woodhill (HM Prison)
HM Prison Woodhill is a Category A men's prison and Young Offenders Institution, located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Woodhill Prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
prisons. In 1994 he was appointed governor at Whitemoor
Whitemoor (HM Prison)
HM Prison Whitemoor is a Category A men's prison, located near the town of March in Cambridgeshire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
top security jail.
He was governor of Whitemoor in 1994, when six prisoners including Paul Magee
Paul Magee
Paul "Dingus" Magee is a former volunteer in the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who escaped during his 1981 trial for killing a member of the Special Air Service in 1980...
and other IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
members, escaped from the prison's Special Secure Unit after smuggling a gun into the prison. All were later recaptured.
In 1999, he was made the new director of high security prisons at the Prison Service, and from 2000 to 2003 held the post of director of security, Prison Service.
UK Border Agency
Moved to the UK Border Agency, Clark was placed in charge of the Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal CentreYarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre
Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre is an immigration detention centre at Milton Ernest in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire. It opened on 19 November 2001 and was built to hold up to 900 people making it the largest immigration detention centre in Europe at the time. Since opening in 2001...
, which was managed by Group 4. In February 2002, the building was burnt down following a protest by the detainees, triggered by someone being physically restrained by staff. When the fires started the Head of Group 4 security ordered all staff to exit the building, locking the detainees inside the timber framed building, resulting in five people being injured in the fire.
By April 2008 he had attained his most recent position as head of the UK Border Force in the new UK Border Agency, and was awarded a CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
in the 2010 New Year Honours
2010 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 2010, principally for the United Kingdom but also the Commonwealth Realms, were announced on 31 December 2009 to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2010....
.
Suspension and resignation
In summer 2011, the Home OfficeHome Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
gave permission for the UK Border Force to relax controls on the procedures relating to persons entering the United Kingdom on European passports, to facilitate the management of queues. This procedure was then extended to non-EU citizens, a move which Home Secretary Theresa May
Theresa May
Theresa Mary May is a British Conservative politician who is Home Secretary in the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition government. She was elected to Parliament in 1997 as the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, and served as the Chairman of the Conservative Party, 2003–04...
said had been undertaken without her knowledge. The Home Office suspended Clark, and carried out a precautionary suspension for those he supervised: Carole Upshall, director of the Border Force South and Europe ; and Graeme Kyle, director of operations at Heathrow Airport. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reported that staff may have been told not to scan biometric passport
Biometric passport
A biometric passport, also known as an e-passport or ePassport, is a combined paper and electronic passport that contains biometric information that can be used to authenticate the identity of travelers...
s at certain times. These contain a digital image of the holder's face which can be used to compare with the printed version and check the passport has not been forged. It is also believed that "warning index checks" at Heathrow Airport and the port of Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, which would have applied strict security checks against official watchlists of terrorists, criminals, and deported illegal immigrants were also suspended.
Clark is reported by The Guardian as claiming that when Rob Whiteman
Rob Whiteman
Rob Whiteman is a senior UK Civil Servant who works as the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency. He was appointed to this role in 2011.Whiteman had previously worked as the managing director of Local Government Improvement & Development . A job he had been appointed to in 2010...
, the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency, suspended him he was initially "offered the chance to retire quietly with a package including nine months' pay, £101,000, and a good reference". He was subsequently informed after accepting the offer that the package had been withdrawn and that he was to be suspended pending an investigation.
Three investigations are being undertaken:
- One by Dave Wood, ex-Metropolitan Police detective, currently the UKBA's head of enforcement and crime group. This is a two-week inquiry designed to discover to what extent checks were scaled down, and what the security implications might have been.
- One by Mike Anderson, an ex-MI6 official, presently director general of the strategy, immigration and international group at the Home Office. This will investigate wider issues relating to the performance of UKBA.
- It was announced on 5 November 2011 by Theresa May that an independent inquiry would also be undertaken, led by the Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency, John Vine.
On 8 November 2011 Clark formally resigned from the UK Border Agency insisting that comments made by the Home Secretary, Theresa May
Theresa May
Theresa Mary May is a British Conservative politician who is Home Secretary in the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition government. She was elected to Parliament in 1997 as the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, and served as the Chairman of the Conservative Party, 2003–04...
amounted to constructive dismissal and that he would launch legal proceedings.