Compensation for man who shot Pc

Pc Olds died from a drug overdose

A man jailed for shooting and crippling a policeman who later died of a drugs overdose has been awarded £7,000 after his prison status review was delayed.

The European Court found the 22-month wait for a decision on his prisoner category caused "anxiety" to ex-Bedford Hell's Angel Stuart Blackstock, 50.

He shot Pc Philip Olds, paralysing him, during a raid on an off-licence in Hayes, west London, in 1980.

Police Campaign Group Protect the Protectors has condemned the decision.

Blackstock was awarded £1,000 damages and £6,000 to cover costs and expenses.

'No loss of liberty'

Pc Norman Brennan, of Protect the Protectors, said: "Our colleague Pc Olds has lost everything because of being shot by Blackstock, but who cares about the victim anymore?

"The Court of Human Rights has become a piggy bank to many criminals."

Blackstock was a category C prisoner at that time and the move would have been the final stage before release.

Strasbourg's European Court of Human Rights found he did not suffer "any loss of liberty" from the breach of his human rights.

Blackstock had been seeking £5,000 damages.

Pc Olds, a traffic constable, died in 1986.