Police apologise for using Aborigine mugshots in squad's target practice

Police in Queensland were forced into a humiliating climbdown yesterday, admitting they had been using mugshots of criminal suspects, including Aborigines, for target practice.

Officers had defended the use of the photos in training exercises by the state's counter-terrorism squad, but after an uproar and accusations of racism, Bob Atkinson, the police commissioner, apologised and said the practice would stop.

Tony McGrady, the Queensland police minister, had ordered an inquiry after media reports that the squad was firing live bullets at pictures of real people. Ray Robinson, one Aboriginal leader, condemned the "despicable act", saying it was "outrageous in a country where we are trying to achieve reconciliation between black and white Australians".

The revelation also prompted complaints from civil liberties groups. "It's absolutely disgraceful in that it reinforces prejudices," said Cameron Murphy, secretary of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties. "We've got a serious problem with police being trained to shoot to kill, and we've also got a problem with police unfairly targeting certain groups. What we now have is the two issues linked together."

Mr Atkinson said the 40-man special emergency response team needed to hone its skills in the most realistic setting possible, and photos of real people helped. He said the 28 pictures used were 10 years old and only two were of Aborigines.

But later, he apologised for any "embarrassment or hurt". "There was never any racist overtone or aspect to this. It is about identifying - under very brief and difficult circumstances in a [simulated] hostage siege - the victims from the offenders. With the wisdom of hindsight, we should not have used photos of people without their permission and without their knowledge."