G20 Victim 'Had Been Pushed By Police'

A man who died of a heart attack during the G20 summit protests, had been pushed to the ground by a police officer, new video footage released has shown.

A video obtained by the Guardian newspaper shows Ian Tomlinson, who was not protesting, walking away from a group of police officers with his hands in his pockets.

He then receives a two-handed push from an officer which causes him to fall to the ground.

The video then shows passers-by stopping to help him up, before he remonstrates with the police again.

Mr Tomlinson, 47 - a newspaper vendor in the city, who was walking home from work - suffered a heart attack afterwards, outside the Bank of England in central London.

Liberal Democrat justice spokesman said: "This video clearly shows an unprovoked attack by a police officer on a passer-by. It is sickening.

"There must be a full-scale criminal investigation. The officer concerned and the other officers shown in the video must immediately come forward."

After watching the footage, Mr Tomlinson's son, Paul King, 26, told the Guardian his father had left work selling the Evening Standard at Monument Station at around 7pm.

He was trying to make his way home, but police at a number of barricades were not letting people through.

He told the newspaper: "Whether that was a cause of his death we are not to know. We want answers: why? Ian clearly had his arms in his pockets and his back towards the police."

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said the video images "raised obvious concerns" and has said the Met will fully support the IPCC's investigation.

He said: "My thoughts are with Mr Tomlinson’s family at this time. The images that have now been released raise obvious concerns and it is absolutely right and proper that there is a full investigation into this matter, which the Met will fully support."

The IPCC also announced it would request a second post mortem test as part of an independent inquiry.

(JM/BMcc)