The $64,000 question is, did Milbank "receive a 999 call" or was this just 999 being used to monitor the call as the contemporaneous evidence suggests?
If the latter, is this the New Yorker manipulating things to cause a storm?
Well i've just read Burrells statement on the forum here Dan, it answers most of our questions!
Burrells statement- on wed 7th Aug 1985 I was the duty sgt in the force information room at police headquarters, Chelmsford. At about 03.45 hours I became aware of an incident in the Tolleshunt D'arcy area. At 3.56 I caused the Telecom operator to check the line on a Maldon number 860209. This was done and I was told that the telephone receiver was off the rest. At 5.55 I caused a second check to be made with the same result accompanier by a dog barking.
At 6.09 hours this open line was linked up with our ''999' call line and was thereafter constantly monitored by PC Milbank. D.Burrell.-.......
So, there you have it, Dan, according to Burrell, he himself instructed the operator what to do, initially telling her to check the Whitehouse telephone number, so Burrell set things in motion regarding the operator and then seemed to listen in or at least be told by the operator that a dog was barking inside the Whitehouse at 5.55. Then at the crucial time of 6.09 he says 'this open line was linked up with our '999' call line and was thereafter constantly monitored by PC Milbank'. Notice that Burrell doesn't actually say that they 'received' a call at 6.09, just that a link was made to their '999' call line!
Ok, so that brings us to Milbank! According to Burrell you would think Milbank was in the loop all along and asked to monitor the line once the link was made? There is no mention of Milbank 'receiving' a call from the whitehouse, or any call for that matter!
So, we can only conclude that someone is mistaken or lying? Either Milbank knew exactly what was happening and did not answer a call from the Whitehouse, merely following orders to monitor the phone once the lihk to the Whitehouse initiated by Burrell was made, or Burrel is lying and Milbank did indeed answer a call from the Whitehouse, but if so, how did he actually know the call came from the Whitehouse? was the number somehow recorded? Well,it would appear there was more to the call than an apparent planned link by the operator as Burrell claimed, as the Stokenchurch inquiry was apparently tasked with investigating the '999' call originating from inside the Whitehouse, Why would they do that if it had simply been a planned link at 6.09 initiated by Burrell?
Seems the call 'may' juat have been made by someone from inside the Whitehouse after all, Dan!
What do you think?