Dial 999? It would have been faster calling for help out of my window
A TERRIFIED teacher who fought off an intruder in her home had to wait for officers to be sent from miles away – despite living next door to a police HQ.
Jennifer Phibbs – who shares a garden wall with Police Scotland’s HQ in Dalkeith, Midlothian – bravely tackled the prowler when he burst into her home late at night.
The 63-year-old struggled with the “threatening” man to get him out of her house.
But he remained lurking outside and a petrified Jennifer called 999.
She was put through to Police Scotland’s controversial Bilston Glen call centre, in Loanhead, Midlothian.
Staff are said to have told Jennifer her call was classed as “high priority”, meaning officers would be there as soon as possible.
But she was left waiting – with the prowler still nearby – until officers eventually appeared from a police station three miles away in Loanhead.
“I could have put my head out of the window and shouted for help from the police station,” she said.
“You used to be able to rely on local policing, but not anymore.
“I kept seeing officers leaving Dalkeith in their cars and prayed the next one would be for me, but it never appeared.”
Jennifer’s ordeal began late on a Wednesday night in August last year.
Her partner, Ian, a retired college lecturer, had gone out for the evening with a friend and she was doing preparatory work for a class.
She said she left her back door open as Ian didn’t have a key.
At about 11.30pm, Jennifer heard the back door open and assumed Ian had returned – but it wasn’t him.
Instead, there was a terrifying stranger looming in her home.
She said: “I entered the hallway to see a man I had never seen in my life before – coming towards me.
“I was absolutely terrified and shouted at him to get out while pushing him towards the back door.
“I managed to push him out of the back door and lock it.”
Despite living next to the police station, officers eventually arrived after about quarter of an hour and arrested a 51-year-old man at the scene.
A report was sent to the Procurator Fiscal to consider prosecution.
But a year later no action has been taken.
Jennifer said: “When he was arrested it was the last time I heard anything about the case.
“No follow-up calls from the police or the Crown Office to let me know what happened despite me trying.
“No one seems to be interested in keeping victims of crime up-to-date.”
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Douglas Ross said: “This illustrates the concern people had when Police Scotland embarked on its programme of front desk closures.
“The Scottish Government was well warned that the fewer police stations there were, the worse service the public would receive.”
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “The call was given a high priority and the nearest available resources were dispatched to attend.
“A 51-year-old man was subsequently charged under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and a report was submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”