Menezes Report Highlights 'Serious Weaknesses'

There were "serious weaknesses" in the Metropolitan Police's handling of critical information following the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, a report by the Independent Police Complaints has found.

The report into the shooting accused the Met's Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman of misleading both the public and Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair over press statements released following the shooting of Mr Menezes.

The report said that AC Hayman had told the Crime Reporters Association that the dead man was not one of four bombers wanted in connection with the attempted terror attacks of July 21, 2005, but later allowed a press release to be issued which stated that it was not known if he was one of the four bombers.

The IPCC said: "The report concludes that AC Hayman's actions in relation to his briefing the Crime Reporters' Association (CRA) at around 4:30pm, and then misleading the attendees at the 5pm management board meeting and sub-meeting led to inaccurate or misleading information being released by the Metropolitan Police.

"AC Hayman either misled the public when he briefed the CRA that the deceased was not one of the four or when he allowed the 6:44pm July 22 press release to state that it was not known if the deceased was one of the four. He could not have believed both inconsistent statements were true."

Sir Ian Blair did not announce that an innocent man had been shot until the following day. However, the report said that a complaint against Sir Ian Blair had not been substantiated and that there was no evidence of misconduct surrounding his actions.

Speaking after the publication of the report, Sir Ian said that Mr Hayman still had his full support.

Mr Menezes was mistakenly shot dead by police officers at Stockwell Tube Station on July 22, 2005, as they hunted for the four suspects behind the failed London bomb attacks of July 21.

Thursday's report was the second IPCC report into the incident and was concerned solely with complaints of inaccurate information about the case being provided to the public. The first, published last year, concerned the shooting itself and ruled that none of the eleven officers involved in the shooting would face charges.

However, the Metropolitan Police still faces prosecution under health and safety legislation in October over the shooting.

(KMcA/SP)