Have you been mistreated by the police? If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of police misconduct, our expert panel of Actions Against the Police solicitors may be able to help you claim compensation.

Here at ClaimExperts.co.uk, we have the utmost respect for the majority of police officers who serve and protect the British public every day. However, the police are not free from repercussions, and if they have acted in an unfair or illegal way you deserve to get justice.

If you have been wrongfully arrested or assaulted by the police unnecessarily during an arrest, you may be entitled to claim Actions Against The Police compensation. In addition to compensation, you can also receive an apology from the police force and potentially enforce disciplinary proceedings to help ensure it does not happen to anyone else.

The figures show that police forces in the UK had a total of 31,097 complaints in 2018/19. These complaints ranged from assault, corruption, discrimination, sexual assault, and general breaches of codes of conduct. If you believe you have a valid police complaint and would like to speak to our expert panel of Actions Against The Police solicitors about filing a civil claim, get in touch today.

Our Most Popular Police Complaint Claims Guides

• Injuries From Police Negligence
• Malicious Prosecution
• Police Assault and Excessive Force
• Police Data Breach
• Police Dog Bites
• Police Misconduct
• Police Trespassing
• Unlawful Detention
• Wrongful Arrest
• FAQs

What are Police Complaints?

Police complaints are investigated by the police force’s local professional standards department as well an independent body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). This was formally known as the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and changed in 2018.

The IOPC defines a police complaint as:

An expression of dissatisfaction with the way someone has been treated or with the service they have received.

In this sense, filing a police complaint is different to taking legal action against the police. Police complaints can be lodged directly to the IOPC and you do not need a solicitor to do so. However, no civil claim for compensation can be made if you only lodge a complaint with the IOPC.

This is important as, sometimes, an apology from the police might not be sufficient. You may feel you need to be compensated for the pain you have suffered due to your unfair treatment. This is where Actions Against The Police solicitors can help.

What are the most common types of Police Complaint Claims?

Our panel of Actions Against The Police solicitors regularly see various types of police complaints.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the forms of police misconduct, but does show the most common cases which our panel are able to assist with:

• Abuse of power – Misfeasance in public office
• Assault and excessive force
• Breaches of data protection
• Death whilst in custody
• Discrimination
• Dog bites
• Failure of police to investigate an offence
• Harassment
• Injury through overuse of taser or pepper spray
• Injury whilst being arrested
• Malicious prosecution
• Mistreatment or denial of rights at the police station
• Trespass to property
• Unlawful imprisonment
• Unlawful recovery of property
• Unlawful stop and search
• Wrongful arrest

If any of the above incidents have happened to you or a loved one, you may be entitled to compensation. Our expert Actions Against the Police advisors can guide you through a potential police compensation claim, and talk you through your next steps.

What are Actions Against The Police Compensation Claims?

Actions Against the Police claims are different to police complaints, though a successful police complaint can lead to taking actions against the police. An action against the police case is a civil claim for compensation following police misconduct.

Unlike complaints, actions against the police are usually pursued through the courts. If you are successful in your case, you are likely to receive compensation from the police and have your legal costs paid for.

This sort of claim may involve a number of different circumstances or situations. Generally speaking, a claim of this sort involves breaches by the police of the following:

• The Bail Act 1976
• The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)
• The Data Protection Act 1998
• The Human Rights Act 1998
• The Equality Act 2010
• The Code of Conduct for Police Officers
• The Police Code of Ethics

These breaches can occur where the police officer or officers misjudge a situation or use excessive force. Sometimes good police officers act wrongly, and sometimes there are just bad apples. Through these breaches, lives can be ruined, which is why the UK police forces pay out significant amounts of compensation every year to those who have been affected.

Who can claim Actions Against The Police Compensation?

Anyone who believes they have been subjected to police misconduct may be entitled to sue the police. You may have been unfairly treated, wrongfully arrested, or even assaulted by a police officer.

Not only can you receive compensation if you are successful with your claim, but you can also expect an apology from the police force concerned if they are found to be guilty. This will also enable the police force to instigate disciplinary action to ensure that no other member of the public finds themselves in your situation.

In addition to this, you can bring a police complaint claim on someone else’s behalf if they are unable to, for example, if they are:

• Are a child
• Lack mental capacity to instruct solicitors

You are also able to bring forward a claim for a loved one who has unfortunately died in police custody. Our panel of Actions Against The Police solicitors can guide you through the steps.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct reported that between 2018 and 2019 there were a total of 31,097 complaints against Police Forces in the UK. The complaints included allegations of assault, sexual assault, discrimination, corruption, and general breaches of the codes of conduct.

How is compensation calculated?

Every police complaint claim is different, and your compensation will be determined by the severity of your individual case. Depending on the nature of the police claim, the compensation you receive can range from a few hundred pounds to over £500,000.

Compensation can be awarded for:

• Personal injury
• Damage to property
• Financial loss
• Damage to reputation
• Stress (e.g. for a criminal prosecution)

Our expert panel of police solicitors will be able to tell you how much you claim could be worth. Our panel can provide a free, no-obligation review of your case.

What is the Police Complaint Claim process?

ClaimExperts.co.uk make starting your civil claim against the police as straightforward as possible. Simply fill out our free eligibility checker to begin. Our police solicitor panel will then review your details and get back in touch for a free, no-obligation review of your case.

Our panel of Actions Against Solicitors will assess whether or not they can assist you. If they can, our group will get started right away. Our panel will compile any relevant evidence to make sure your claim is as strong as possible, including any images of your injuries or damaged property.

Bringing an actions against the police claim forward may first involve filing an official police complaint. If this is the case, our panel will be able to guide you through the process, step by step.

Once they have everything required to file a successful claim, our panel will attempt to settle your case and get you your deserved compensation.

Is there a time limit to bring my Actions Against The Police claim?

Yes, there are certain time limits for bringing a compensation claim against the police, and each time limit is dependent on circumstances. Below is an example:

• Discrimination Cases– 6 months minus one day from the date of the incident
• Breach of Human Rights– 12 months from the breach
• Assault and personal injury– 3 years from the date of the injury
• Trespass to property or goods– 6 years from the event
• Unlawful arrest/false imprisonment– 6 years from the date of the detention
• Malicious prosecution– 6 years from the date of a favouable outcome (e.g. your acquittal at criminal court proceedings)
• Breach of Data Protection – 6 years from the breach

As you can see, there are multiple scenarios with different time limits. ClaimExperts.co.uk would advise getting in touch as soon as possible if you believe you do have a police compensation claim to avoid any problems with being time-barred.

How can I fund my Actions Against The Police claim?

ClaimExperts.co.uk can offer a number of different funding options for bringing actions against the police.

Our panel can discuss bringing your claim on a No Win, No Fee basis. This means there would be no financial risk to you, as you only pay us if your case is successful. This fee would be an agreed percentage of your compensation. This type of case would be subject to your financial means and the merits of the case.

In addition to this, depending on the particular case, our panel may also offer private funding options where considerations are made in relation to damages-based agreements.

Our expert Actions Against the Police panel will discuss all of this with you on our first, free initial call. There is no obligation to use our service after the free call.

How can ClaimExperts.co.uk help?

Have you or a loved one been a victim of police misconduct? Do you want answers, an apology, and potentially compensation for your suffering? If you believe you have an Actions Against the Police Compensation Claim, get in touch with our expert panel of Police Complaint solicitors today.

Our expert panel can help you with obtaining evidence, help retrieve any items retained by the police and are experienced in making strong police complaints to the police or prison service for improper conduct.

Have More Questions?

Read our Actions Against The Police FAQs here.