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Camden New Journal - by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
Published: 22 November 2007

Independent investigators rule out probe into school riot

THE Independent Police Complaints Commission has rejected a call that it should investigate a riot outside a West Hampstead school.
A father and son who are threatening to pursue a civil action against the police are pressing for the IPCC to review its decision not to look into the riot at Hampstead School a year ago.
Up to 40 police officers from the Territorial Support Group (TSG) turned up at the gates of the Westbere Road school on November 24 last year amid fears of an impending clash between Hampstead students and pupils at Whitefield School in Brent.
Teachers were shocked by the actions of police. The school’s head, Jacques Szemalikowski, lodged a complaint against the TSG, on behalf of his pupils who alleged police were racist and heavy-handed.
Lawyers acting on behalf of Sashon Martin-Edwards, who was then 16 and a pupil at the school, and his father Roy Martin say they plan to file a civil suit against police.
They have called for a probe by the Metropolitan Police’s internal investigators, the Directorate of Professional Standards, to be handed over to the IPCC, an independent body. Solicitor Shamik Dutta said a letter received from the officer in charge of the DPS investigation insisted police had not acted in a racist manner.
Mr Dutta said: “The police officer tasked to investigate the complaint has refused to accept there was any ‘direct evidence that the actions [of police officers] are racist’.” He called on the IPCC to review its decision not to investigate, in the light of allegations about the police made by his clients, other parents at the school, teachers and the head.
Mr Dutta added: “The IPCC have in turn refused to supervise, manage or investigate the police complaint and are permitting this officer to continue with his investigation into the incident.”
The IPCC and the Met Police were unavailable for comment.

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