The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has supported three members in their claim for compensation against the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), for subjecting them to unreasonable and unconscionable delays during an investigation.

The investigation in question ran for 11 years.

The PFEW has worked closely with solicitors from Penningtons Manches Cooper, PMC to pursue a claim for damages for a misfeasance in public office under the Human Rights Act that resulted in an award of £65,000.

The investigation in question was conducted by the IOPC for over 11 years and the impact suffered by the officers was felt across all areas of their lives.

A spokesperson from the PFEW said: “Their careers suffered as this investigation loomed large over all their work, affecting professional development, confidence, reputation and other losses.

“The impact ultimately seeped into their personal lives, damaging their relationships outside of the workplace, not to mention the impact on their mental health which was significant.”

With the support of the PFEW and the legal team at PMC, all parties agreed to participate in mediation, resulting in a damages settlement of £65,000, payment of the Police Federation’s legal costs and, perhaps of most importance to the claimants and their careers, letters of apology from the IOPC.

The case was brought to a conclusion at a disciplinary hearing where all complaints were dismissed by the panel leaving the claimants to get on with living and get on with their careers with this case no longer looming over every part of their lives.

(Source: Police Federation of England and Wales)

(Image: Lonpicman, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)