ROBERT PEEL (Law & Order):

Born in Lancashire 1788, died 1850. His father was a highly successful textile manufacturer and also a Member of Parliament.

Peel was educated at Oxford University and became a Conservative politician, his first constituency being in Tipperary, Ireland. He moved up the ranks of the Conservative Political Party, becoming Home Secretary in 1822 and then Prime Minister in 1834.

Robert Peel established the Metropolitan Police Force and their base at Scotland Yard. He first employed 1,000 constables who were affectionately known as ‘Bobbies’ or ‘Peelers’, terms still used today, and they were very successful in cutting crime in London.

Robert Peel was highly concerned about people’s welfare and introduced the Factory Act in 1844 which restricted the number of hours that children and women could work in a factory and set basic safety levels for the machines that were used.