This film is part of Free
Evidence
The earliest known police surveillance film to be used as evidence captures some illicit activities - and circus animals - in Chesterfield marketplace.
Overview
PC Saunders of Chesterfield Borough Police spent the best part of a week filming the shenanigans of a posse of illegal street bookies from a first-floor shop window, overlooking Chesterfield marketplace. This surveillance footage became the first film to be used as evidence in a British court. Following the Chesterfield case, police units in Glasgow, Lancashire and Bradford followed suit.
The unique 16mm reversal print, now preserved in the BFI National Archive, is the same artefact that was screened in Chesterfield Police Court. A contemporary Derbyshire Times article described the dramatic atmosphere as the courtroom was "temporarily turned into a cinema", much to the amusement of the defendants and the magistrates. 25 of the 39 defendants were discharged while the other 14 received fines between Β£2 and Β£20, or bind-over orders. Look out for the troop of elephants ambling across the marketplace - they were performing at a circus in the town. This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.
Related
Chesterfield May Day 1978 Chesterfield May Day 1978
Amateur film 1978 11 mins Silent Location: Chesterfield
Politics, partying, and a penalty shoot-out at the Derbyshire town's inaugural May Day bank holiday funfair
Great Central Railway Great Central Railway
News 1962 5 mins Location: Chesterfield
Doctor Beeching sounds the death knell for the Great Central main line.
Heywood, Lancs. and Chesterfield Celebrations Heywood, Lancs. and Chesterfield Celebrations
Non-Fiction 1948 1 mins Location: Heywood
A centenary commemoration of George Stephenson - the father of the railway.
Standing in a By-election Standing in a By-election
Current affairs 1984 7 mins Location: Chesterfield
Π150 and ten signatures is all you need to stand in a British election. Can it really be that simple?
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of childrenβs palliative care.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.