An original black-and-white Press Association photograph showing the senior police team assembled to reorganise the investigation into the unidentified murderer then known as the Yorkshire Ripper.
The six officials are pictured together in Leeds shortly after Assistant Chief Constable Jim Hobson was appointed to lead the renewed inquiry. From left to right, the original Press Association caption identifies:
Assistant Chief Constable David Gerty; Commander Ronald Harvey; Deputy Chief Constable Leslie Emment; Jim Hobson, the new head of the Ripper investigation; Stuart Kind; and Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Sloan. Contemporary agency archives confirm the same identification and composition.
The original green caption sheet attached to the reverse is headed:
“NEW RIPPER SQUAD”
It reads substantially:
“The squad hunting the Yorkshire Ripper in Leeds today. Left to right: Assistant Chief Constable David Gerty, Commander Ronald Harvey, Deputy Chief Constable Leslie Emment, Jim Hobson, the new head of the Ripper investigation, Mr Stuart Kind and Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Sloan.”
The caption is dated 28 November 1980 and describes Kind as a civilian director of the Home Office Central Research Establishment at Aldermaston. Original Press Association reference details, a newspaper-library stamp and a later processing date of 3 December 1980 survive on the reverse.
The team was created during a major reassessment of the investigation following years of mounting criticism and the murder of Jacqueline Hill in Leeds on 17 November 1980. Hobson had recently taken control of the inquiry and brought together senior police officers and specialist advisers from outside West Yorkshire. The external advisory team examined aspects of the investigation, including the damaging reliance placed upon the fraudulent letters and tape attributed to the killer. Official records confirm that an external advisory team was appointed in November 1980.
Stuart Kind, pictured second from the right, was a senior forensic scientist and civilian director at the Home Office Central Research Establishment. His inclusion demonstrates the attempt to introduce additional scientific and analytical expertise into the investigation.
Peter Sutcliffe was arrested in Sheffield on 2 January 1981, little more than a month after this photograph was issued. He was subsequently convicted of murdering thirteen women and attempting to murder seven others.
This is the exact image retained within the PA Images and Getty archival collections, but the present item is an original physical newsroom photograph from 1980, complete with its contemporary agency caption and newspaper working marks, rather than a modern reproduction or digital licence.
Good condition for an original working newspaper photograph. There is light overall age toning, minor surface marking and normal newsroom handling wear. Slight edge and corner wear and a few small pressure marks are present. The principal image remains clear, sharply focused and strongly contrasted, with excellent facial and clothing detail.
The reverse retains the original green Press Association caption sheet, displaying light age toning, minor creasing and adhesive-related rippling. Newspaper-library markings and the later archive date remain visible. These annotations are integral to the photograph’s history and confirm its use within a contemporary newspaper picture archive.
Please study the photographs carefully as they form part of the description.
Caption title: New Ripper Squad
Subject: Senior team investigating the Yorkshire Ripper murders
Date: 28 November 1980
Archive date: 3 December 1980
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire
Agency: Press Association Photos
Photographer: Uncredited
Provenance: British newspaper photographic archive
Size: 15.1 × 20.1 cm
Format: Original black-and-white press photograph
MAP DRAWER C YR FOLDER
Combined Postage
We are happy to combine postage on multiple purchases whenever possible.
If you wish to purchase more than one item, please add the items to your basket and request a combined invoice before payment. Where practical, items will be packed together to reduce shipping costs and ensure safe transit.
For buyers who have already paid separately for multiple items, any significant postage overpayment will be refunded where appropriate after packing and dispatch costs have been calculated.
Please note that some larger, fragile or framed items may need to be shipped separately for safety reasons and may not be eligible for full combined postage discounts.
We take great care in packing books, ephemera, maps, prints, photographs and collectables to ensure they arrive safely and in the condition described.
We want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase.
If you change your mind, you may return the item within 30 days of delivery for a refund. Items must be returned in the same condition in which they were received, with all original packaging (which must be unopened where applicable on new items), labels and accompanying documentation where applicable.
For items returned because the buyer has changed their mind, the buyer is responsible for return postage costs.
If an item arrives damaged, is faulty, or differs materially from the description provided, please contact us promptly and we will work with you to resolve the matter. In such cases, return postage costs will be covered by us in accordance with eBay policy and UK consumer legislation.
Please note that many of the items we sell are vintage, antique, second-hand or collectible. Normal signs of age, wear and use are described and photographed wherever possible and do not constitute faults.
We recommend inspecting your purchase upon arrival and contacting us through eBay messages if you have any questions or concerns.
Hornseys – Established 1976
Specialists in Books, Ephemera, Maps, Prints and Collectables.