125 Met officers facing discipline charges

Scotland Yard admitted today that 125 of its officers are currently suspended or removed from frontline duties.

The figure was published as it emerged that complaints against the Met jumped by 14 per cent last year.

Police chiefs have admitted their disciplinary process drags on too long, with officers facing serious allegations routinely suspended for months or even years while investigationsare carried out. As of April, 35 Met officers were suspended while 90 were removed from frontline duties.

The figures came as a setback to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair as he faced a grilling at the London Assembly on the performance of the force. Complaints against Met officers by the public rose from 4,344 in 2003/4 to 5,100 in 2004/5. The biggest single source, 149 complaints, was the Met's handling of the pro-hunting demonstrat ion in Parliament Square last September.

Lib- Dem policing spokesman Graham Tope said: "Serious questions must be asked as to why there is such a continual increase."

The force insisted the rise was due to the introduction of the Independent Police Complaints Commission in April last year, together with new rules which allow members of the public to file complaints about incidents they have witnessed, rather than been involved in.

Just over half the complaints last year were withdrawn or dismissed, just under half were resolved locally and only two per cent were investigated and upheld.