“No, and I guess there's no record kept of how many police are Jewish either, or Roman Catholic. Maybe all three should be outed and required to wear some little identifying mark on their clothing, just so we all know with whom we are dealing. That system worked quite well in another totalitarian society. God, I feel so sorry for Britain, all my life I've been very proud of my English heritage, but when I see the paranoid nonsense like this and the abolition of freedom in the UK, I really lose hope for the world.

Really, identify Freemasons?? You would do better to identify Muslims. Have you heard of a place in the US called "Fort Hood" lately? That's what comes of blithely ignoring the really dangerous people [because that might be DISCRIMINATION!] and looking instead to these ludicrous obsessions.

Britain, I pity you.”

“Well done to the NDJ for raising this issue but I fear the stealthly influence of Freemasonry will continue in North Devon.

I think North Devon is just the kind of quiet provincial backwater where Freemasonry can lay deep roots and thrive without anyone really noticing.”

“yea, Tom, why don't you TELL us exactly what work you do instead of referring us to some 3rd party website......”

“I believe Freemasonry exists within the North Devon Police, and that influence can be applied by retired officers who are Freemasons and serving Officers who are also members of this organisation.

I have had first hand experience of the levels of pressure and influence that can be applied by the Freemasons during an investigation by the Police. It proved unsuccessful in the end with the Independent Police Complaints Commission now investigating the matter.

It is wrong that Freemasons try and insert this influence over the judicial system, when members of the public who are not Freemasons are clearly disadvantaged.

We live in a democratic country and would expect the Police to be transparent and unbiased in their investigation work.

All serving Officers, and members of the judicial system should have to disclose their membership or dealings with the Freemasons.”

“The comparison made between Freemasonry and Vegitarianism is rediculous.

Obviously the verdict of a vegetarian Judge would not be skewed by the fact that the defendent was also a fellow vegetarian. not unless he had been charged with theiving from a butchers shop anyway.

And of course there is probably little hard evidence that the objectivity of freemasons employed to police our society has been comprimised - because we dont know which policemen are indeed freemasons - duh. Although i'm sure there are large amounts of anacdotal evidence.

But if freemasonry, and its members who hold such positions of influence, have nothing to hide, then whats the issue with disclosing this information?

Surely the main perk of becoming a Freemason (rather than anonamously raising money for charity) is in fact to gain some kind of an advantage. But this could frequently be at the expence of someone whom doesnt hold such membership, and the potential for this to influence our judicial system in particular, is surely unacceptable?”

“During te late 60's and the 1970's, My Grandfather became a Freemason. He had his own business and it would have been financial suicide not to have done so, as most of his business associates were Freemasons, and had he refused the invite, it would have been financial suicide. My father was at a charity event, where a high ranking Policeman who was a Mason was drinking, he asked my father if he was driving, my father said no as he had been drinking, The policeman gave him a list of roads where the Police had been instructed NOT to patrol. Like I said this was the early 70's and things must have changed, But I am sure id PC whoever was to see his father/mother etc get into a car and drive, would he fullfill his civic duty and arrest them??? Associates either within an organisation or not would of course be treated different!! This is a byproduct of 'humanity' I draw your attention to an article on me : http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/Man-took-mother-s-ashes-police-prove-died/article-1466557-detail/article.html?cacheBust=8n3hBCCkkOrz&success=true#community , Where the Police showed NO Humanity!! We are tending to live in a Nanny state where no-one is allowed to use their own judgement. I say YES the Police should be allowed to join the Freemasons, OR any other organisation INCLUDING the BNP If they so wish! but I believe that record of membership SHOULD be made public!!! especially for ALL members of the civil service !!! The public, the courts and whoever else may have the power to make decissions over peoples lives, so then the public can decide for themselves if an individual is being favoured or persecuted based on his individual circumstance. Then a freemason in the force MAY NOT preside over a judgement of action to take on another freemason, The same 'fairness' should be executed over any other organisation for that matter. We cannot stop people for having individual preferances or favour, BUT by making it public, they will not be able to do so without us knowing, and some kind of preventative action could be taken.”

“does it really matter whether police are freemasons or not? if it meant that there could be some sort of underhand 'turn a blind eye' to offences etc then maybe it would matter. is there any suggestion of this going on? what next? police being required to state whether they are vegeterians?! as long as they are doing their job and living up the standards expected of them there's little to be gained from disclosing freemasonry connections.”

“It is surely suspicious that people in positions of influence and authority can be members of a secret society?

Even if the society as a whole is not intended to aid corruption and even raise money for charity! (which is frankly irrelevant to the debate), surely secret societies have at least the potential to lead to corrupt activities and to be abused at a more local level.

Its not exactly reflective of the transparent and democratic society we're supposed to be living in.

Why are they so ready to publicise they're charity work, but yet otherwise so secretive?

Tis all abit shady.”

“Why does it matter who is a Mason or who isn't? Its not a secret society with secrets and Masonry isn't alone in that. Before bad mouthing something that you little about go here http://www.grandcharity.org/ and see the work we do.”

“Freemasonry is completely open in Scotland: in some Towns and Cities they parade annually through the streets,so why cannot it be so in England. There is nothing sinister about being a Freemason. Indeed they raise considerable amounts of money for various charities!”