Complaints against officers soar after the G20 protests

Complaints against police in London soared last year, partly as a result of the G20 demonstrations in the City when officers were accused of using heavy-handed tactics in dealing with protesters.

Complaints against Met officers rose by 17 per cent to 7,175 in 2009/10. The City of London police faced 132, a 45 per cent rise on the previous year.

These figures, released by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, compared with a national eight per cent rise in the number against police in England and Wales. Most allegations involved accusations about "neglect or failure in duty" and incivility, said the IPCC.

Commissioner for London Deborah Glass said: "I believe that part of the reason for the increase is that those who previously were not inclined to complain now know that doing so is worthwhile.

"In a period where police budgets are under pressure it will be all the more important for the police to listen to what the public are telling them, manage their expectations about what they can and can't deliver, and remember they are a service."

The Met said today it had made it easier for people to complain online.

The G20 protests in April sparked a series of high profile inquiries into police tactics.
Nationally, 33,854 complaints were made in 2009/10 and one in 10 allegations was substantiated.

Deputy Chief Constable John Feavyour, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead for complaints, said: "The challenge is to maintain high levels of professionalism when we are being asked to do much more with fewer resources."