Court dismisses police fire claim

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A claim against Bedfordshire Police for more than £42m for fire damage after a riot at Yarl's Wood detention centre has been thrown out at the High Court.

Mr Justice Beatson dismissed the claim by Yarl's Wood Immigration Limited, GSL UK (formerly Group 4), and their insurers.

The claim was made under the 1886 Riot (Damages) Act, which allows companies and individuals to sue the police.

The judge said police did nothing wrong in staying outside until invited in.

Almost half of the detention centre at Clapham, Bedfordshire, was destroyed by fire on the night of 14 February 2002.

'Overlapping duties'

Mr Justice Beatson said that the police had a "fundamental duty" to maintain law and order.

But Bedfordshire Police had done nothing wrong in deciding to stay on guard at the detention centre's perimeter fence until invited onto the site by the operators, he said.

The judge ruled that the 1886 Act was intended to compensate citizens who suffered the effects of riot damage, not private contractors who were exercising "public authority" over the detention centre for the Home Office.

It was not the intention of the 1886 Act to make one public authority liable to another when they had overlapping duties to maintain order, Mr Justice Beatson said.