Officers guilty over arrest inquiry

Officers guilty over arrest inquiry

Roger Sylvester died in hospital

An internal inquiry has found three Metropolitan Police detectives investigating the arrest of a north London man, guilty of neglect of duty.

Roger Sylvester, 30, was arrested at his home in Tottenham on 11 January 1999, but collapsed and later died in hospital.

The investigation follows a complaint made by Mr Sylvester's family.

The three officers from the Criminal Investigations Bureau were called in to investigate the eight policemen who had initially arrested Mr Sylvester.

The Met cannot release details of all the complaints against the officers, or say which have been upheld.

PCA inquiry

But the allegations included failure to preserve Mr Sylvester's home as a crime scene, failure to preserve the arresting officer's uniforms as evidence, and not identifying Mr Sylvester's clothing and personal effects as requiring forensic examination.

All three police officers are now on full duties.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said that "suitable sanctions have been administered" against the three officers found guilty in the inquiry.

The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) has appointed Essex Police to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Sylvester's detention.

An inquest into the death is due to be held in September.