MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Police involved in death of Falklands' veteran

Four British police officers were guilty of the “most serious neglect of duty” over the death of former Falklands' veteran Christopher Alder in 1998, a watchdog has ruled, reports the BBC.

Mr Alder, 37, who was black, choked to death at a Hull police station. The police watchdog said the officers had been guilty of "unwitting racism".

Humberside Chief Constable Tim Hollis apologised following the Independent Police Complaints Commission's report but the Humberside Police Federation said the officers "strongly dispute" the report.

In reacting to the report, Mr Alder's sister said those responsible had still not been held to account. Five officers were cleared of manslaughter and misconduct in 2002 regarding the death of Mr Alder, but his family campaigned for a further inquiry.

Of the five officers, one was involved to a lesser extent than the other four in the events surrounding Mr Alder's death, the IPCC report said.

Mr Alder, a father-of-two and a Falklands paratrooper veteran, was injured during a scuffle outside a Hull city centre hotel and taken to Hull Royal Infirmary for treatment.

He was later arrested for an alleged breach of the peace and taken to Queens Gardens police station but half an hour later he choked to death on his own blood and vomit as he lay on the floor of the police station, without moving, for 11 minutes with his trousers round his ankles.

In a 400-page report published on Monday, Independent Police Complaints Commission chairman Nick Hardwick described the behaviour of the officers present at the time as "disgraceful".

Mr Hardwick said: "I believe the failure of the police officers concerned to assist Mr Alder effectively on the night he died were largely due to assumptions they made about him based on negative racial stereotypes. I cannot say for certain that Mr Alder would have been treated more appropriately had he been white - but I do believe the fact he was black stacked the odds more heavily against him".

Mr Hardwick said that although there were "serious failings" by the four police officers, they did not assault Mr Alder and that it could not be said "with certainty" they had caused his death. But their "neglect" undoubtedly did deny him the chance of life.

Humberside Police Federation spokesman John Savage said the officers denied they had neglected their duties or acted in a racist manner "unwitting or otherwise".