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'Plebgate' police officers' honesty queried 'Plebgate' police officers' honesty queried
(about 1 hour later)
The police watchdog has questioned the "honesty and integrity" of Police Federation officers who met Andrew Mitchell over the plebgate row. The police watchdog has questioned the "honesty and integrity" of police officers who met Andrew Mitchell MP over the "plebgate" row which led to his quitting the government.
The IPCC said West Mercia Police were wrong to conclude three officers from various forces had no case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said West Mercia Police were wrong to conclude the three officers had no case to answer for misconduct.
It follows concerns that the three gave a false account of a meeting with Mr Mitchell in the wake of the row. It follows concerns they gave a false account of the meeting.
He quit the cabinet after officers said he called them plebs, which he denies. The Police Federation said it was "shocked" by the IPCC statement.
In a statement, Mr Mitchell welcomed the IPCC findings and said he and his family have "waited in vain" for three police officers accused of trying to discredit him to be held to account. In a statement, Mr Mitchell welcomed the IPCC's findings, and said he and his family had "waited in vain" for the three officers to be held to account over the meeting they held with him in their capacity as Police Federation representatives.
Home Secretary Theresa May said the government was taking measures to "bolster integrity" in the police and the new College of Policing would be publishing a new code of ethics. Home Secretary Theresa May said it would be "quite wrong" for West Mercia police not to take disciplinary action against the officers in light of the IPCC report, which "made troubling reading".
Eight people, including four police officers, have been arrested and bailed over the September 2012 row at the security gates to Downing Street. The Crown Prosecution Service is currently considering charges.Eight people, including four police officers, have been arrested and bailed over the September 2012 row at the security gates to Downing Street. The Crown Prosecution Service is currently considering charges.
The row occurred when Mr Mitchell was told by police not to take his bike through the main gates on 19 September. The former Tory chief whip has apologised for his outburst, but has always disputed claims he described policemen as "plebs".The row occurred when Mr Mitchell was told by police not to take his bike through the main gates on 19 September. The former Tory chief whip has apologised for his outburst, but has always disputed claims he described policemen as "plebs".
As the row between the then cabinet minister and the police intensified after the original allegation, Mr Mitchell met Police Federation officers from the West Mercia, West Midlands and Warwickshire forces at his constituency office in Sutton Coldfield. As the row between the then cabinet minister and the police intensified after the original allegation, Mr Mitchell met the officers from the West Mercia, West Midlands and Warwickshire forces at his constituency office in Sutton Coldfield.
Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, said the evidence indicated Mr Mitchell saw the meeting as an attempt to clear the air, while officers focused on Mr Mitchell's "version of events". Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, said the evidence indicated Mr Mitchell saw the meeting on 12 October as an attempt to "clear the air".
She said: "The allegation against the officers is that they deliberately misrepresented what Mr Mitchell had said during a meeting in his constituency office on 12 October 2012 when they gave media interviews immediately afterwards." The IPCC said that during that meeting, representatives from the three forces acknowledged that the integrity of their Metropolitan Police colleagues was no longer intact.
After investigating how the officers represented the meeting, West Mercia Police concluded that although the Police Federation had added pressure on Mr Mitchell to resign, none of the officers had a case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct. A transcript of the meeting shows one of the representatives stating that the London officers had "put words in your mouth that are untrue".
But Ms Glass said: "Despite their apparent enthusiasm for reporting their MPS colleague for lying, in fact none of the officers do so, but immediately tell the waiting media, in effect, that it is Mr Mitchell's integrity which is in question."
The transcript shows Mr Mitchell apologised for swearing at the police officers but denied using the word "plebs".
In comments made after the meeting, one of the officers, Inspector Ken MacKaill of West Mercia Police, claimed the former Tory chief whip would not provide an account of the incident.
West Mercia Police conducted an internal investigation into claims the three officers were trying to discredit Mr Mitchell and concluded that although the Police Federation had added pressure on Mr Mitchell to resign, there was no case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct.
It said that there was no deliberate intention to lie to journalists.
But the IPCC, which oversaw that investigation, said that it disagreed.But the IPCC, which oversaw that investigation, said that it disagreed.
Ms Glass said: "In my opinion the evidence indicates an issue of honesty and integrity, not merely naïve or poor professional judgment.Ms Glass said: "In my opinion the evidence indicates an issue of honesty and integrity, not merely naïve or poor professional judgment.
"As police officers, they had a responsibility to present a fair and accurate picture. Their motive seems plain: they were running a successful, high-profile, anti-cuts campaign and the account that he provided to them did not fit with their agenda.""As police officers, they had a responsibility to present a fair and accurate picture. Their motive seems plain: they were running a successful, high-profile, anti-cuts campaign and the account that he provided to them did not fit with their agenda."
'Bolster integrity''Bolster integrity'
Ms Glass said a misconduct panel should be held to determine whether the three officers gave a false account in a deliberate attempt to discredit Mr Mitchell in pursuit of a wider agenda.Ms Glass said a misconduct panel should be held to determine whether the three officers gave a false account in a deliberate attempt to discredit Mr Mitchell in pursuit of a wider agenda.
But, she said, as Mr Mitchell had chosen not to make a formal complaint, she was powerless to direct misconduct proceedings. But, she added, as Mr Mitchell had chosen not to make a formal complaint, she was powerless to direct misconduct proceedings.
However, a statement from Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands Police disagreed. It said the IPCC had chosen not to exercise powers that would have allowed it to order the three forces to hold misconduct proceedings.However, a statement from Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands Police disagreed. It said the IPCC had chosen not to exercise powers that would have allowed it to order the three forces to hold misconduct proceedings.
"Despite a thorough investigation under the supervision of the IPCC, we do not believe that there is sufficient evidence to support the view that the officers concerned should face misconduct proceedings."Despite a thorough investigation under the supervision of the IPCC, we do not believe that there is sufficient evidence to support the view that the officers concerned should face misconduct proceedings.
"Our view is that the officers have demonstrated poor judgment in arranging and attending the meeting in the first place. In light of this, our position is that management action is a proportionate response," it said."Our view is that the officers have demonstrated poor judgment in arranging and attending the meeting in the first place. In light of this, our position is that management action is a proportionate response," it said.
In his statement, Mr Mitchell said Inspector Ken MacKaill, of West Mercia Police, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton, of Warwickshire Police, and Sergeant Chris Jones, of West Midlands Police, had been able to secure a meeting with him after the original allegation "under false pretences, openly misrepresent the contents of that meeting, and on the back of that misrepresentation call for his resignation at a press conference they had assembled for the purpose".In his statement, Mr Mitchell said Inspector Ken MacKaill, of West Mercia Police, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton, of Warwickshire Police, and Sergeant Chris Jones, of West Midlands Police, had been able to secure a meeting with him after the original allegation "under false pretences, openly misrepresent the contents of that meeting, and on the back of that misrepresentation call for his resignation at a press conference they had assembled for the purpose".
He said it was a matter of "deep concern" that the police forces employing the three officers had concluded their conduct had not brought the police service into disrepute, adding that most people would disagree.He said it was a matter of "deep concern" that the police forces employing the three officers had concluded their conduct had not brought the police service into disrepute, adding that most people would disagree.
"It is a decision which will undermine confidence in the ability of the police to investigate misconduct when the reputation of the police service as a whole is at stake," he said."It is a decision which will undermine confidence in the ability of the police to investigate misconduct when the reputation of the police service as a whole is at stake," he said.
Ms May said it was a "great pity when the great work that's done by the majority of honest officers is in any sense damaged by a small number of officers not acting with integrity". Mrs May said the government was taking measures to "bolster integrity" in the police and the new College of Policing would be publishing a new code of ethics.
It was a "great pity when the great work that's done by the majority of honest officers is in any sense damaged by a small number of officers not acting with integrity," she added.
Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman refused to comment on the IPCC report but said it was "very necessary" to get the bottom of allegations surrounding the so-called plebgate row.Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman refused to comment on the IPCC report but said it was "very necessary" to get the bottom of allegations surrounding the so-called plebgate row.
The Met Police said it would not be commenting on the IPCC statement as it concerned officers from concerns officers from the West Mercia, West Midlands and Warwickshire forces.