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Police face probe over Accrington pensioner death complaints From Lancashire Telegraph)
POLICE officers’ conduct will be examined amid claims they did not properly investigate a bailiff over a pensioner’s death.
Andy Miller, 78, from Accrington, collapsed and died from a heart attack after being taken to a cashpoint in Union Road by a bailiff to pay an overdue speeding fine in January last year.
A formal Independent Police Com-plaints Commission investigation has seen Lancashire police rapped for failing to deal with a relative’s complaints over their investigation. Complaints say officers failed to:
* Investigate claims the bailiff was impersonating a police officer
* Interview witnesses at the scene
* Investigate claims the bailiff 'behaved in a threatening manner' to Mr Miller’s 15-year-old son
* Investigate a report sent to the coroner before it was signed off.
Mr Miller’s nephew Steve Flanigan, raised these issues with Lancashire Police, causing them to class it as a complaint against their policies and procedures.
However, the IPCC says this does not go far enough and have recommended it is also handled as a complaint about the conduct of police officers.
Their finding states: “Mr Flanigan is making specific allegations about the conduct of police officers and their failure to appropriately investigate circumstances.
“Furthermore this failure is alleged to have impacted on the proper consideration of the matter by the coroner.”
The IPCC have ordered Lancashire Constabulary to record the complaint as a conduct matter and deal with it accordingly.
A police spokeswoman said, “We will be responding to the IPCC’s recommendations.
POLICE officers’ conduct will be examined amid claims they did not properly investigate a bailiff over a pensioner’s death.
Andy Miller, 78, from Accrington, collapsed and died from a heart attack after being taken to a cashpoint in Union Road by a bailiff to pay an overdue speeding fine in January last year.
A formal Independent Police Com-plaints Commission investigation has seen Lancashire police rapped for failing to deal with a relative’s complaints over their investigation. Complaints say officers failed to:
* Investigate claims the bailiff was impersonating a police officer
* Interview witnesses at the scene
* Investigate claims the bailiff 'behaved in a threatening manner' to Mr Miller’s 15-year-old son
* Investigate a report sent to the coroner before it was signed off.
Mr Miller’s nephew Steve Flanigan, raised these issues with Lancashire Police, causing them to class it as a complaint against their policies and procedures.
However, the IPCC says this does not go far enough and have recommended it is also handled as a complaint about the conduct of police officers.
Their finding states: “Mr Flanigan is making specific allegations about the conduct of police officers and their failure to appropriately investigate circumstances.
“Furthermore this failure is alleged to have impacted on the proper consideration of the matter by the coroner.”
The IPCC have ordered Lancashire Constabulary to record the complaint as a conduct matter and deal with it accordingly.
A police spokeswoman said, “We will be responding to the IPCC’s recommendations.
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