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LOST FOR WORDS: Mary Magilton.
LOST FOR WORDS: Mary Magilton.

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Pc's warning for mum who said 'fat'

Brian Lashley
13/10/2005

POLICE told off a hit-and-run victim - because she described the woman driver who mowed her down as "fat".

Mother-of-three Mary Magilton had been asked by an officer about the woman who had knocked her over. When she said the driver was "fat" she said she was given a frosty look and told she couldn't say that.

Mrs Magilton, 54, from Moorside, Oldham, blamed political correctness and said the ticking off left her feeling like a criminal.

Mrs Magilton suffered cuts and bruises in the incident at the junction of Ripponden Road and Turf Pit Lane, Oldham, when the Citroen C3 mounted the pavement, hit her, then drove off. The motorist has not yet been traced.

All Greater Manchester Police officers follow an "appropriate language" guide. When it was introduced in 2000 it sparked so many complaints an explanatory letter had to be sent to all officers.

Terms such as policeman and spokesman were described as sexist and anyone from an ethnic minority had to be referred to as non-white.

Disdain

Since its introduction the policy has been reviewed and updated. But it does state: "When taking a witness statement from a member of the public, be aware of the evidential need to record the witness's exact words.

"Use speech marks to show the words used by the witness, especially those giving descriptive information. Doing this will make sure the statement is recorded in the witness's own words."

Mrs Magilton said: "When I said fat they just gave me a frosty look and told me that I couldn't say that - but I didn't mean any harm. I couldn't find another word to use. I would describe the police reaction as dismissive and apathetic - they didn't even get me to sign a statement, they treated me with such disdain.

"I don't know any other words to describe a fat person. People describe me as the skinny one with fuzzy hair and it doesn't bother me.

"What's wrong with society when you can't describe someone who is fat as fat? It's political correctness gone mad - it's unbelievable."

A GMP spokesman said the language policy was to help officers and staff dealing with the public.

The incident comes almost 11 years after GMP was forced to launch an internal inquiry when one of its officers branded a woman prisoner "ugly".

Is the word 'fat' offensive to you? Have your say.


| Submit CommentSubmit Comments | View CommentsView Comments(18)


Most recent 2 of 18 user comments

   What if you call someone well-nourished? Whichever way you put it you could be digging a hole for yourself these days. I've always been thin until I turned 40 when I started to grow a belly. If someone said I was getting fat, I would agree, not criticise people for saying what their eyes tell them. Ignore all these do-gooders. They cause more trouble than they can ever prevent.
PW, Manchester
11/01/2006 at 09:24

Offensive or Inappropriate?

   I like a number of the other contributors, feel it beggars belief that some one who has just been run down by a car is treated with distain for using the word fat to describe the driver of the car. I can assure you that; Mrs Magilton was very polite compared to what I would have called her, if she had just struck me with her car while I was walking on the pavement. Are all the descriptive words in the English language to be dropped, in case some poor over sensitive soul might be offended?
Andrew Magilton (Not Related), Hitchin
10/01/2006 at 23:50

Offensive or Inappropriate?

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