This resource is from the News section. This page contains press release 43/07, in which the MPA announces that it is to review the way the MPS communicated following Stockwell tube death.

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MPA to review way Met communicated following Stockwell tube death

43/07
6 September 2007

The Metropolitan Police Authority is to review the way in which the Metropolitan Police Service communicated both internally and externally following the death of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Tube Station on 22 July 2005.

This has already been subject to an Independent Police Complaints Commission’s investigation into complaints about the Met’s handling of public statements following the incident.

Announcing the review, MPA Chair Len Duvall said:

“No one is satisfied two years on that there is still no clarity about why misleading information continued to be circulated and left uncorrected so long after the shooting.

“Once the health and safety trial due to start on 2 October has concluded, I will lead an MPA review that will answer outstanding concerns. Why did it take so long to confirm Mr de Menezes’ identity? Why the delay in informing the Commissioner that an innocent man had been shot? What did work and what didn’t work within the Met’s senior command structure? These are some of the questions we will be asking on behalf of Londoners.

“Concerns have also been raised about the ‘Salmon letter’ process, which informs those people who may be criticised in an official report and gives them the opportunity to respond on factual matters before publication. There are questions over how this process was carried out in this instance and whether it was handled appropriately.

“This will be a full and detailed look into all of the key issues, including some limitations in the IPCC Stockwell 2 report. We may also look at issues raised in the Stockwell 1 report, which deals with events leading up to the shooting itself, although this won’t be in the public domain until the health and safety trial is concluded.”

The Authority’s review will begin as soon as the health and safety trial concludes and will report early in 2008.

Notes to editors

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office