Blacks awarded police damages

THREE BLACK and Asian people have won damages from the Metropolitan Police for alleged offences including assault and false imprisonment.

The lawyer representing the three separate claimants said yesterday that the refusal by Sir Paul Condon, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, to apologise showed that he had not learnt anything from the Stephen Lawrence affair. "It would appear that [his] promise of a `new dawn' ... is a false one," said Sadiq Khan. In an agreed statement at the Central London County Court yesterday the Met agreed to pay pounds 16,500 damages and costs expected to total about pounds 150,000. The Met has denied liability in the cases.

Amit Sharma, 19 claims he was assaulted for no reason by a plainclothes police officer in 1996. The Police Complaints Authority did not uphold a complaint by Mr Sharma.

Joseph Ade Antigha, a 35- year-old teacher, was arrested on suspicion of robbery in 1996. He agreed to settle for pounds 3,500 damages. A PCA inquiry supported his claim that he was unlawfully arrested.

Anita Jarrett, a 35-year-old singer, attempted to sue after she claimed for assault, battery, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution following her arrest in 1994. She agreed to a pounds 5,000 settlement.