Man dies after being detained by police in London, prompting independent investigation

Man 'became unwell' while being detained by police in Bexleyheath

A post-mortem has not yet been carried out to establish the cause of death (Rex)

A man has died after being detained by police in London.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said officers were called to a home in Bexleyheath by a members of the public on Monday night.

“They encountered a man in his 30s and became concerned for his welfare,” a spokesperson said. “Officers called London Ambulance Service and detained the man.

“Unfortunately, his condition deteriorated and officers administered first aid before the ambulance arrived and he was taken to a south London hospital where sadly he was declared dead.”

The watchdog has launched an independent investigation into the incident, and is currently treating the Metropolitan Police officers involved as witnesses.

Investigators are analysing footage from their body-worn cameras and nearby CCTV footage, while interviewing people who live in the area.

Jonathan Green, regional director of the IOPC, said: “This is a tragic incident and my thoughts go out to family, friends of the man and to all involved.

“Sadly, he appears to have rapidly become extremely unwell, he died after being detained by the police and as such the circumstances require a thorough independent investigation.”

A post-mortem has not yet been held to establish the unnamed man’s cause of death, which will also be subject to an inquest.

The investigation was launched the day after a separate probe into the potential role of police officers in a fatal car crash.

The IOPC said a driver and her female passenger died in hospital after the car they were travelling hit a tree in the village of Womenswold, Kent, on 14 September.

A police van had followed the Toyota Yaris after seeing it driving at "speed" in Canterbury and pulled up alongside it in a layby shortly before the crash.

It came after police custody deaths hit a 10-year high in England and Wales, with the figure soaring by more than 64 per cent in a year.

Data published by the IOPC showed 23 people died in 2017/18, including 17 who had been restrained or subjected to force, 12 with mental health concerns and 18 with links to drugs or alcohol.

Campaigners said the rise illustrated the impact of “historic underfunding” in health and community services, and said the disproportionality in the use of force against black people added to “irrefutable evidence of structural racism”.