IPCC 'wrong' over withheld report

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/6936769.stm
August 2007
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has admitted it was wrong to keep a report about a fatal crash from the Sussex Police Authority.
The IPCC investigated Sussex Police's involvement in the crash in St Leonards that killed five teenagers in 2005.
A report was then released to the victims' families and to the force but not to the authority because it was deemed to be "not an interested party".
Now the IPCC has relented and said it was reviewing its policy.
'Monitoring complaints'
The authority had argued that as it was an overseer of Sussex Police it made it an essential recipient of the report.
In a letter to the authority, Nick Hardwick, IPCC chairman said: "I believe you are right in criticising our decision not to allow the disclosure of the report to the police authority.
"We are now reviewing our policy on disclosure to police authorities more generally."
Lionel Barnard, chairman of the authority, said: "We are pleased the IPCC has acknowledged that it got this wrong and that the proper role of the authority in monitoring complaints against the police is recognised."
In a statement, the IPCC said: "The disclosure of reports is a complex area.
"The IPCC is working with its advisory group, that includes the Association of Police Authorities, to agree a policy about disclosure of our investigation reports."
Kelly Goring, 17, Daniel Carwardine and Danielle Martin, both 16, Barrie Mackay, 15, and Lee Morgan, 14, died in the crash in Battle Road.
The teenagers were in a stolen Metro car which crashed minutes after it had been spotted by a marked police vehicle on 29 October, 2005.
It hit a lamppost, three walls and another car parked on a driveway.
In April the IPCC concluded a police officer whose vehicle was involved in the crash would not face disciplinary proceedings.