Police inquiry set up over Bradford riots

Fifteen complaints - including one of alleged assault on a young mother carrying a baby, which was said to have triggered the riots in Bradford last weekend - are to form the basis of an investigation into the policing of the troubles, the Police Complaints Authority said yesterday.

The allegations against West Yorkshire police made by Bradford's Asian Community are mainly of assault, abuse of authority, incivility and damage to property. But wider issues such as the cause of the disturbances and the attempts by police to regain control of the streets will also form part of the inquiry to be supervised by the PCA.

Yesterday, after meeting members of the Asian community and West Yorkshire officers, the police authority promised Bradford residents a full and thorough inquiry into the disorder in the Manningham area of the city, which caused about pounds 1m worth of damage. It has appointed Chief Superintendent Christopher Gray, of the West Midlands Police, who has wide experience of working in racially mixed inner city areas, to head the investigation.

John Cartwright, deputy chairman of the PCA, said: "The complaints will be investigated impartially and thoroughly under our independent control . . . we have considerable experience of overseeing incidents of this sort."