Police force nominated for 'gobbledygook' award

Police in Cambridgeshire have been reminded to "use good English" after an error-filled email was sent to Cambridge residents. Subscribers to the email alert who were said to be "leaving in the Castle Ward" received the warning about break-ins.

The Plain English Campaign said the message contained "so many errors" it had been nominated for its Golden Bull "gobbledygook" award. A police spokesperson said: "Standards were clearly not met." The threat of pre-Christmas thefts was highlighted as part of Cambridgeshire Police's e-cops public information service.



The email was brought to the attention of the Plain English Campaign, which has worked to reduce "ploddledygook" within police forces across the UK. A spokesperson said: "We can all have a giggle about this, but there is a serious message.

"There is no care taken in this message. Perhaps the writer doesn't have sufficient ability, but it has clearly not been proof-read. People have the right to information they can understand and you would expect something more from a police force." The spokesperson confirmed that the message was a "contender" for the organisation's Golden Bull award, which recognises the year's "best examples of gobbledygook".