Police chiefs investigated five complaints about officers’ behaviour during the summer riots but took no disciplinary action, the M.E.N. has learned.
Greater Manchester Police bosses looked at one complaint about an officer who boasted about arresting a looter on social networking site Facebook.
They also investigated grievances from two people who said they had been bitten by police dogs and one person who claimed they had been hit with a riot shield. The final complaint was from an individual who said they had seen an officer punch someone.
But GMP confirmed that no officers have faced or are currently facing disciplinary proceedings for the way they policed the streets in Manchester and Salford on August 9.
The M.E.N. understands that the officer who posted the boastful message on Facebook was spoken to about the matter.
We have also learned that force bosses did not investigate a video uploaded on YouTube that appeared to show GMP officers striking a youth with batons on the night of the riots.
The grainy footage appeared to show riot cops confronting a group of youths on the corner of Store Street and Jutland Street, behind Piccadilly railway station, at about 10.15pm on August 9.
One is apparently knocked to the ground by an officer and struck on the legs by another.
Force chiefs received no complaints about the video and decided not to investigate it further.
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Assistant Chief Constable Steve Heywood said: “No one will ever forget the shameful scenes we saw in Manchester and Salford that night – not our communities and certainly not the officers and staff who came up against such determined violence.
“Officers were pelted with all sorts of missiles that night and faced extraordinary levels of hostility. In such challenging circumstances, we as a force are extremely proud of the response of our officers and staff who acted with great professionalism, restraint and courage and undoubtedly the actions of our officers stopped the disorder from escalating and potentially putting lives at risk.
ACC Heywood revealed that GMP’s Professional Standards Branch had received more than 200 submissions from members of the public praising the actions of GMP officers and staff.
He added: “The comments, ranging from how proud people were of GMP for keeping our cities safe to commending the outstanding bravery of individual officers and staff, show the public support for how Greater Manchester Police responded to such violence.”
More than 100 yobs have been punished by the courts for their part in the summer disturbances – with custodial sentences dished out totalling more than 100 years.
All those who have been dealt with had pleaded guilty.There has yet to be a trial following the riots in Manchester and Salford.
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Well done to the Police service of Manchester - Bravo
So they should be, they did a great job in impossible circumstances, they should be given an award. And as for any rioter who got hurt Tough! you deserved all you got.
i concur with AJ....well done boys and girls
What did the police actually do other than run down a few kids! no-one was in danger and it was all blown out of proportion. you want proof the same week a black kid handed himself in for breaking in to a shop but not stealing anything gets 6 months and middle class white young adult gets let off for kicking a innocent civilian close to death. Hmm. interesting that all you so called mancs are storming in to see the riot kid get hung and quarted but middle class boy gets a second chance as usual!
Well Done GMP, majority of the waged, tax paying community of Greater Manchester support all that you do and are very proud of you, the only negative responses will be from nesbit unwashed work dodgers whose opinion doesnt really count as all they do is leach off society. Bravo Bravo a medal for everyone of thos brave boys and girls who protected our city against the scum.
I hope the Police dogs are ok, and didnt catch any nasty diseases.
Only one complaint about being hit with a riot shield, and one complaint of an alleged assault.
Its an absolute disgrace.
ACC Heywood should launch an investigation as to why there were not hundreds of complaints, as the rioters should have beaten without mercy by his officers. Thats what the law abiding citizens wanted.
The only complaint that I'd have had is that they hadn't been brutal enough.