Deepcut cover-up cuts deep into public confidence for the police

Four young army recruits died at Deepcut barracks and the army immediately covered up their deaths as suicides. A police investigation followed and covered up the army’s cover-up. This investigation has been looked at afresh and serious concerns have emerged. Former Labour MP Brian Sedgemore, also a barrister at law, labelled the affair "scandalous" and said either senior police officers or senior Army officers must be lying.

Geoff Gray, the father of one of the dead soldiers wondered "How can these people lie to us in such a way?" and wants the matter referred to the Independent Police Commission. The parents of Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian shot dead on the London underground by anti-terrorism officers might have asked the same question when confronted with the numerous police lies since exposed. They, too, are looking for the Independent Police Commission to arrive at the truth. I fear they will all be disappointed, because in my experience, the Independent Police Commission is yet another stage in the grand cover-up.

Since the Guildford Four (the appeal judge concluded that the officers must have lied) and the Birmingham Six high profile appeals certain safeguards have been introduced to counter the hitherto unchecked opportunity for the police to fix the evidence. The current government is trying to reverse all that has been achieved with regard to ensuring that police officers act properly within the law. It wants to give the police unprecedented new powers. As this new evidence confirms once more, they are bound to abuse them.