IPCC reports on Forest Gate conduct

The Metropolitan Police has been told it should publicly apologise to the two families affected by the Forest Gate counter-terrorism raid.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has upheld a small number of complaints involving treatment in custody and has made a number of recommendations following its investigation into the operation in June 2006.

The report, released last week, examined the intelligence that led to the raid and the complaints made by the 11 occupants of the two premises, ranging from complaints about the operations itself, to allegations of assault and complaints about treatment in custody.

The IPCC investigated 153 complaints from the residents of 46 and 48 Lansdown Road. Two of the complaints were upheld, relating to occasions where the provision of medication and food to those held in custody fell below the standards expected.

IPCC Commissioner Deborah Glass said: “I have concluded that the police were right to take no chances with public safety. But they were wrong not to have planned better for the intelligence being wrong.

“Everyone in those houses would have been regarded as an unknown threat until it could be established otherwise. It is quite right that the level of force used will have raised the most serious concern.

“I know that some people will feel very strongly that individual officers should be disciplined. However, after much thought, I have concluded that the level of force has to be judged in the light of the officers’ belief that they were facing an extreme lethal threat – not just to themselves but to the public and indeed to the occupants of the houses themselves.

“None of this should minimise the deep and understandable sense of grievance felt by all those affected by what must have been a terrifying experience.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alf Hitchcock, of the Met’s Diversity and Citizen Focus Directorate, said: “Since that day a number of serious allegations have been made about the conduct and actions of our officers. These allegations had the potential to damage public confidence in the police service and we welcome today`s opportunity to set the record straight.

“The IPCC has conducted a thorough and independent investigation that has concluded that the overwhelming majority of the allegations made were unsubstantiated. The most serious of these allegations were subject to a second level of independent scrutiny by the Crown Prosecution Service. The ultimate conclusion is that no officer should face either criminal or misconduct proceedings.

“The MPS learned a great deal from Forest Gate about community consultation and engagement and it is only with the help and support of all Londoners that we can continue to fight the very real and serious threat of global terrorism. The recommendations made by the IPCC will help inform future operations.”

The five recommendations made by the IPCC are:

1. Counter-terrorist operations should plan for the failure of intelligence, including making much better provision for innocent people who are likely to be caught up in an operation.

2. The MPS should publicly explain the process by which they evaluate and act on intelligence, to respond to some public perceptions that it can be misused.

3. Consideration should be given to have “POLICE” shown much more prominently on officers’ clothing.

4. Considering upgrading or relocating the cell block in Paddington Green Police Station to improve it for longer term detention.

5. The MPS should publicly apologise to the two families affected by the raid.

The full report can be found at www.ipcc.gov.uk