Regular use of police helicopter over both Camberwell and Westminster

Dear Mr Nicholson,

Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Authority does not hold the requested information. I have transferred your request to the Metropolitan Police Service who should be able to respond to your request. You should hear from them shortly.

Yvonne Peart
Information Officer

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Dear Mr Nicholson

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2009070001618
I write in connection with your request for information which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 06/07/2009. I note
you seek access to the following information:

* "I am increasingly concerned, angry, and frustrated by the use of
the Metropolitan Police helicopter(s) over my home and place of work.
I have lived and worked in London for two years and both live and work
with this grotesque and intimidating noise on a daily basis with no
means of escape. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate seeing some
statistics in order to clear my mind and find a logic and purpose for
the near constant use of the helicopter(s). Please could you supply
me with all the times and durations that the Metropolitan Police
helicopter has flown or hovered within half of one mile's radius
from Camberwell Road and Parliament Square from 2 July 2007 onwards?
Also, I would be very grateful to know the reasons, be they a
means of passage from A to B, whether they were directly involved in
a police operation, or training, etc. "

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act). You will receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act,
subject to the information not being exempt or containing a reference
to a third party. In some circumstances the MPS may be unable to
achieve this deadline. If this is likely you will be informed and
given a revised time-scale at the earliest opportunity.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet, which details your
right of complaint.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please
write or contact Peter Deja by email at the top of this letter
quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

Peter Deja
Policy and support officer
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think
the decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your
request.

Ask to have the decision looked at again –

The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is
to telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your
decision letter.

That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues
and assist with any problems.

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision
of the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act)
regarding access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS
to have the decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 40 working days.
The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied
with the decision you may make application to the Information
Commissioner for a decision on whether the request for information has
been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information
Commissioner please visit their website at
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk. Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700

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Dear Mr Nicholson

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2009070001618

I write in connection with your request for information which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 06/07/2009. I note
you seek access to the following information:

** I am increasingly concerned, angry, and frustrated by the use of
the Metropolitan Police helicopter(s) over my home and place of work. I
have lived and worked in London for two years and both live and work with
this grotesque and intimidating noise on a daily basis with no means of
escape. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate seeing some statistics
in order to clear my mind and find a logic and purpose for the near
constant use of the helicopter(s). Please could you supply me with all
the times and durations that the Metropolitan Police helicopter has
flown or hovered within half of one mile's radius from Camberwell Road
and Parliament Square from 2 July 2007 onwards? Also, I would be very
grateful to know the reasons, be they a means of passage from A to B,
whether they were directly involved in a police operation, or
training, etc.

Although this request has been processed under the Freedom of Information
Act, I should note that it is likely that the information you have
requested would fall within the definition of 'environmental information'
given in the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, and that your
request could have been processed under that legislation, rather than the
FOIA. However, the decision to disclose the requested information to you
would have been the same were the request to have been processed under
either FOIA legislation or the EIR regulations.

EXTENT OF SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted
at Public Order & Operational Support.

We have been unable to compile the information that you have requested as
the records do not indicate the exact flight path taken.

We are therefore unable to identify specific records relating to a one
mile radus of Camberwell Road and Parliament Square.

However, we are to provide the information relating to the wider area of
the relevant Boroughs, in this case Southwark and Westminster.

If you have any questions arising from the data please do not hesitate to
contact me on 0207 230 3153 quoting the reference number above.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet which details your right of
complaint.

Yours sincerely

Alex Norrie
Information Manager
In complying with their statutory duty under sections 1 and 11 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release the enclosed information, the
Metropolitan Police Service will not breach the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988. However, the rights of the copyright owner of the
enclosed information will continue to be protected by law. Applications
for the copyright owner's written permission to reproduce any part of the
attached information should be addressed to MPS Directorate of Legal
Services, 1st Floor (Victoria Block), New Scotland Yard, Victoria, London,
SW1H 0BG.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your request.

Ask to have the decision looked at again ***

The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is to
telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your decision
letter.

That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues and
assist with any problems.

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 40 working days.
The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700

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