Complaints about police on rise

Police officers in Wolverhampton and West Bromwich are among the most complained about across the entire West Midlands force, new figures reveal.

Grievances against the police soared 16 per cent in 2006/7, according to a report. Assault, corruption and perjury are among the allegations levied against officers.

Figures from the Police Authority show Wolverhampton West and West Bromwich were among the five operational command units which accounted for more than a third of all complaints.

Complaints about officers working for Wolverhampton West more than doubled from 2005/6. There were 242 complaints last year, the second highest for the entire force.

Most were about the incivility and impoliteness of officers. There were 42 complaints about neglect in duty and 35 claimed they had been assaulted by a serving officer.

Twenty-one complaints were of harassment.

In West Bromwich, where there was a rise in complaints on the previous year, impoliteness and oppressive conduct were among the biggest grumbles.

A police source said: "The problem with these figures is that quite often complaints are made by people who have a long-standing problem with the police.

"But that doesn't matter - we have to go through the motions of a complaint and then it gets recorded.

"Usually no further action is taken with these complaints."

Paul Tonks, chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation, has also urged caution over the figures.

Wolverhampton East has continued to see a drop in complaints, with 81 recorded last year.

West Midlands Police declined to comment.

By Becky Sharpe