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A FORMER detective has admitted Scots who moved to Manchester in the 1960s were routinely battered and framed by corrupt police in a bid to eradicate them from the city.

Stephen Hayes – who served as with Greater Manchester Police for 13 years – describes Glaswegians as “vermin” in his new book.

The ex-detective constable goes on to claim he and his colleagues mounted a sustained hate campaign against Scots aimed at “ridding the city” of the “wandering horde of thieving nobodies”.

Hayes, whose shocking book The Biggest Gang In Britain is published this week, tells how the incomers would be beaten up just for walking down the street, and charged with “an assortment of fabricated offences”.

The 66-year-old wrote in the book: “Early in my career, the city was invaded by Glaswegians, who thought it was the land of milk and honey. They brought a certain ­instinctive violence with them. Officers were fully occupied ridding the city of these vermin.

“They had arrived from sunny Glasgow with a strut, a level of cockiness that was not in keeping with our standards of law enforcement and one which had to be quickly brought into line.

“This arrogance quickly dissipated when arrests were actually made, when they were charged with an assortment of fabricated offences, anywhere from drunk and disorderly, to burglary, thefts from cars and, of course, the good old police assault, two words that were repeated again and again.

(Image: NB Press)

“Any vagrant Scot walking the streets was approached and if his breath smelt, not necessarily of alcohol, just ­objectionable, he was arrested on a drunk and disorderly.”

Hayes continued: “I have actually never met a Scot whose breath didn’t smell of alcohol, nor one who didn’t get disorderly when arrested for nothing other than walking the streets.

“They had the strangest notion that they were allowed to drink, provided they behaved themselves on the streets.

“We had no tolerance for such arrogant attitudes and fanciful thinking. There was no discernible reason why a Scot should walk down a side street full of parked cars.

“There were no pubs or cafes on these streets, so the call would be loitering for the intent of stealing from these cars.

“Despite the darkness and poor street lighting, there was no mistaking their efforts.

“Having the inevitable short temper and no sense of humour, they became so irate that an assault was inevitable.

“Parked cars do cause terrible black eyes when collided with in a struggle in the darkness.

“Such minor arrests were common but usually inflicted on the rank and file of this wandering horde of thieving nobodies.”

Hayes told how police officers would commit thefts themselves before framing the nearest Scot “by virtue of the fact that they were here and Scottish”.

He wrote: “There were, however, a small nucleus of villains who were capable of serious assaults and muggings on the citizens.

“This obviously deserved much more sophisticated attention.

“These were deliberately targeted, harassed, beaten up and generally ­discouraged.

“We had intelligence about the city so we could find them in a short space of time, if necessary. A jewellers had its window broken by a passing drunk but nothing was stolen due to the metal grill on the inside.

“The window was probably broken with no crime in mind. An officer would attend until the key-holder arrived to arrange the boarding of the window.

“Standing with your back to the hole in the window, smiling your best, often p***** civic smile at the passing Mr or Mrs Public returning home from an enjoyable romantic night in the city, it was easy to put your fingers through the grill and pull out a couple of watches.

“Such an action was often made simpler, reaching further in the window for more watches with a wire coat hanger which happened to be in a pocket, usually to assist in getting into Fords, but it worked equally well for this purpose.

(Image: Nigel Bennett)

“Then, with a quick radio or telephone call, you established the whereabouts of the main Scottish contingent, ­obviously suspected of this offence by virtue of the fact that they were here and Scottish.

“Six of us blazed into the Snacktime Café and grabbed the ringleader. We told him he was seen near the scene of the burglary… where watches were stolen.

“Cocky Scot, surrounded by p***ed-up admiring cronies, gets to his feet, denies ever leaving the café and offers to be searched, smirking from ear to ear he spreads his arms to enable the search.

“This is our moment. The watches are palmed and ‘found’ in his pockets and in a flurry of flying crockery, tables, and chairs, he is arrested and ­unceremoniously marched from the café in full view of his admirers.”

As well as the appalling treatment of Scottish people, Hayes’s book documents a catalogue of corruption, violence and criminality during his time as an officer.

He added: “The rubber truncheons became the fashion and many field experiments took place. Heads, arms and legs were beaten and it was quickly established that the need for butting, kicking and general punching were now ­unnecessary to subdue a ­prisoner.”

He claimed the book was inspired by the report of the Hillsborough Independent Panel in last September, which concluded South Yorkshire police had lied and altered ­statements to deflect the blame for the tragedy on to ­Liverpool fans.

Hayes, of Poynton, Cheshire, said: “The police concerned attempted to blame ‘rogue elements’ for this callous deceit.

“I knew this was another pathetic lie because I know how the police work.

“The Hillsborough Conspiracy has shocked the ­establishment, the media and the general public alike.

“Whether it has shocked ex-police officers of the 60s, 70s and 80s is very doubtful.”

The Biggest Gang In Britain by Stephen Hayes was released this week by Grosvenor House Publishing is available online and at all good bookshops at £10.99 and signed copies are available from the author via his websitewww.thebiggestganginbritain.com