A BOLTON MP has appealed to Home Secretary Michael Howard for a complete overhaul of the police complaints system.

Liberal Democrat MP Peter Thurnham is pressing the Home Office for a new body to investigate disciplinary complaints about officers from the public.

The Bolton North-east MP took up the campaign after reading about the case of three local men who successfully sued the police over their arrest even though an internal police probe found no reason to discipline the officers involved.

The three men were paid more than £5,000 in damages after claiming wrongful arrest and alleging a police dog was deliberately unleashed on one of them. Following BEN reports of the case Mr Thurnham wrote to Mr Howard.

Under current rules a complaint report is prepared by a senior officer, unconnected to the original allegation, and usually from a specialist complaints and discipline department.

The report is then considered by the independent complaints authority.

Mr Thurnham said: "It is high time that the so-called 'independent' Police Complaints Authority really was independent.

"I believe we should have a new completely separate agency set up to carry out this work. This case is an example of how the public have no confidence in the current system." Home Office minister David Mclean replied: "It is entirely a matter for the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester to decide whether to re-open this disciplinary inquiry in the light of the outcome of the civil case."

He added: "We are right though to expect the highest standards of conduct from police officers and the Home Secretary has announced revised personnel and discipline procedures for the police."

Under the new procedures evidence will be considered on the grounds of "reasonableness" instead of "beyond reasonable doubt."

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