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Officer 'advised' over tweets about attacked pensioner suspects

 

Matthew Cooper
Friday 18 May 2012 09:12 BST

A police officer who sent a "wholly inappropriate" message on Twitter after helping to arrest two suspects in the Emma Winnall assault inquiry has been spoken to about his conduct.

Pc Hanif Sanghar, of West Midlands Police, reportedly used Twitter to inform his 2,700 followers that officers had "arrested the offenders" involved in the attack on the 93-year-old.

In a statement apologising for any "confusion or distress" the tweet may have caused, Pc Sanghar's force stressed that those arrested yesterday were innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Chief Inspector Sally Seeley said in a statement: "The man and woman arrested in connection with the attack on Emma Winnall are suspects.

"Like most people, the officer who tweeted about his role in the double arrest was shocked by the violent nature of the attack on Mrs Winnall and was keen to update people with the latest development in the case.

"It is clear that in doing this, he used terminology which was wholly inappropriate.

"The officer has been advised and the tweets removed."

PA

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