Investigation after 'police informant' shot

An investigation has been launched into how police handled information from a man alleged to be a police informant, just hours before he was shot.

Domenico Masciopinto was shot five times in Reddall Close, Bedford, on January 15 after his picture was circulated on Facebook alleging that he had been a police informant since 2009.

Mr Masciopinto, 30, contacted Bedfordshire Police earlier on the day of the shooting to express concerns for his safety, a spokesman for the Independent Police Complaints Commission said.

An investigation has since begun into how officers responded to the information from Mr Masciopinto, who is still receiving hospital treatment for serious injuries.

A spokeswoman for Bedfordshire Police said: "We are aware that there had been a posting on a third party's Facebook page, suggesting the victim of a recent shooting in Bedford was a police informant.

"An image has been circulated on Facebook which has had text added to it by a third party to make it appear as if the person is a registered informant.

"The posting appears to be an image of a page from the police custody system, which is not accessible to outside sources.

"This particular data system is not used by the police for recording any information at all on registered informants.

"Obviously the investigation team are following this line of inquiry to establish if the posting and the shooting are connected.

"Information about registered informants is kept in a secure system with full access limited to specialist intelligence officers."

Jonpaul Pasqualone, 27, has been charged with being the holder of a public office and wilfully neglecting to perform his duty/wilfully misconducting himself.

The offence is said to have taken place between July 1, 2010, and January 13, this year.