Police 'failed' on victim's call

Mohammed Raja Shafiq spoke to police 25 minutes before the attack

A man who was killed in an attack in a park in Lancashire reported concerns about violence to police less than 30 minutes earlier, a report reveals.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has said there were failings in the way the call by Mohammed Shafiq, 50, was handled.

Mr Shafiq, 50, died trying to protect his son, Umar, in a fight in Thompson Park, Burnley, in March.

A 21-year-old man pleaded guilty to his murder on Friday.

At Manchester Crown Court, defendant Mohammed Bilal Bhatti changed his plea and admitted the attack on Mr Shafiq.

Mr Shafiq, of Nelson, Lancashire, was stabbed in the stomach and suffered a fractured skull. He died of blood loss.

An individual handled Mr Shafiq's call badly, thus creating a situation where it appears he believed he had to deal with matters himself Naseem Malik, IPCC Commissioner for the North West

About 25 minutes before the attack, Mr Shafiq contacted police on a non-emergency number.

He wanted to speak to an officer who had been dealing with an alleged assault on his son, but the officer was unavailable.

Mr Shafiq told the female call handler that he had been told a group of men were following his son and that he was concerned.

The seven-minute call ended with Mr Shafiq saying that he was going to the park where he believed his son was.

The call handler told Mr Shafiq to distance himself from the incident and telephone the police should there be any problems.

A report by the IPCC found that the call handler missed key information because she was speaking over Mr Shafiq.

She failed to adhere to recognised standards and practices and failed to recognise the need to dispatch police officers to the incident, the IPCC said.

Det Ch Supt Clive Tattum, head of Lancashire Constabulary's Professional Standards department, said it was considering the findings of the IPCC report.

Mohammed Bilal Bhatti admitted the attack on Mr Shafiq

Naseem Malik, IPCC Commissioner for the North West, said: "Mr Shafiq contacted Lancashire Constabulary with real concerns about the welfare of his son.

"However he did not receive the service he needed and decided to deal with the situation himself, with tragic consequences.

"Police call handlers have a very important role to play in understanding the needs of callers to ensure the appropriate response is given.

"In this instance an individual handled Mr Shafiq's call badly, thus creating a situation where it appears he believed he had to deal with matters himself.

"That situation should not have developed and the public must be able to have confidence that when they report an emergency to the police they will receive the appropriate response."

Omar Khalid, 19, Shahdab Akhtar, 19, and his brother Shazad Akhtar, 17, also changed their pleas on Friday.

Shazad Akhtar pleaded guilty to manslaughter and violent disorder. Shahdab Akhtar and Khalid, both 19, pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

All four defendants were remanded in custody for sentencing on 26 September.