Man in police van incident named

A man who died after being hit by a police van in Shropshire in the early hours of Saturday has been identified.

Kenneth Thiel-Furber, 26, was struck by the marked West Mercia Police Vauxhall Vivaro van on the A41 by the Wrexham Road roundabout at Whitchurch.

The death of Mr Thiel-Furber, who was from Whitchurch, is not going to be investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

It will be investigated internally by West Mercia Police.

Pedestrians appeal

A post-mortem examination is due to be held on Thursday.

An inquest is likely to be opened early next week, West Mercia Police said.

Mr Thiel-Furber died at the scene. Two police officers in the van, which was travelling on the A41 towards the Tilstock roundabout, were not injured.

Police are carrying out an investigation into the circumstances and preparing a report for the Mid and North Shropshire coroner John Ellery.

The IPCC said it will be a supervised investigation by West Mercia, in which the complaints body will set the terms of reference and approve the "final investigation outcomes".

An IPCC spokesperson said: "When police officers are involved in an incident resulting in death or serious injury, it is automatically referred to the IPCC.

"We will then consider the circumstances of the incident and determine whether there is a need for further IPCC involvement.

"Having examined the circumstances of this case, it has been determined that no direct IPCC involvement is necessary."

West Mercia want to hear from passing motorists who spotted two pedestrians, a man and a woman, in the area of the A41 at Whitchurch at about 0230 BST on Saturday.

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