Nineteen-year-old dies after arrest

Ian Prentice claimed he was assaulted in his cell

The police complaints authority is investigating the death of a West Midlands teenager who claimed he was assaulted in police cells.

Ian Prentice, 19, from Alumwell collapsed hours after being released from police custody and died at Walsall's Manor Hospital on Monday.

He was released from Walsall police station earlier after being cautioned for a public order offence.

He returned home and told relatives he had been assaulted by police officers in a cell. Hours later he died in his girlfriend's arms.

Fit and healthy

Mr Prentice's family is now demanding to know what happened to him while in custody.

A post mortem examination was inconclusive.

His father Paul Prentice said: "I want to know what happened in those cells, I really do, because we know nothing.

"There's been a post mortem which can't reveal the cause of death.

Paul Prentice: "We know nothing"

"They're supposed to do another one, we've heard nothing yet."

The teenager was engaged to Kelly-Michelle Pritchard, also 19, and they were planning to marry in December.

Michelle's father Carl said: "He would always do anything to help anybody and he was fit and healthy and had been doing the decorating earlier that day.

"We want to know what happened, questions have got to be asked about this," he said.

The police say the matter is being investigated by the West Midlands' Police professional standards department, an independent investigation team.