Eight Greater Manchester Police officers suspended after reports of racial discrimination | UK news

The suspensions come as Greater Manchester Police is under pressure after an officer was filmed kicking a man in the head and a review found the force was carrying out unlawful arrests and strip searches.

Greater Manchester Police has suspended eight officers and restricted another from performing duties following reports of racial discrimination.

Seven of the suspended officers are from the Bury district and one is from Rochdale and was working in Bury at the time of the allegations, police said.

The move followed the suspension of five officers and the transfer of two more restricted officers, all from the Bury borough, on July 17, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) added.

In both cases, the police contacted the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The IOPC is investigating the first report but has referred the second incident back to GMP for investigation.

Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Allen, head of professional standards at GMP, said: “The reports we have received are deeply concerning and I hope to reassure the community of Bury, the wider public and the workforce at GMP that these matters will be fully and thoroughly investigated.”

GMP under pressure after damning report and viral video

The suspensions come as GMP constables is being criminally investigated after a video widely shared on social media showed a police officer kicking a man in the head at Manchester Airport.

There is no indication that the suspensions announced today are related to this case.

After the video emerged, protests broke out in Rochdale and central Manchester, with the city’s mayor, Andy Burnham, urging residents to “step back” and let the authorities conduct their investigation.

Read more:
The footage shows the moments before the man kicked in the head
Mayor says incident in which police officer kicked man is not ‘clear’
What has GMP learned from the Baird report?

The video was created after A damning report found that GMP officials abused their power – unlawful arrests, unlawful and degrading body searches, sometimes the treatment of victims as perpetrators and the traumatisation of victims of sexual abuse or domestic violence.

The Baird Inquiry was launched in response to a Sky News investigation into GMP’s treatment of three detained women at a police station.

However, the investigation found that there were problems in all but one of Greater Manchester police stations.