Attacks on Met's Sir Ian are 'harming race relations'

The Met's independent race advisers today issued a strong defence of Sir Ian Blair and warned critics that recent allegations of discrimination could damage efforts to improve community relations.

The Police Service Independent Advisory Group - set up during the Stephen Lawrence inquiry - said the Commissioner had helped his force to lead the way in promoting equality and diversity.

It said that he had shown "effective and passionate" leadership on these issues and insisted that recent allegations of discrimination by senior ethnic minority officers, including Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, should not detract from these achievements.

The advisory group also expressed concern that the publicity given to Mr Ghaffur, who is understood to be preparing legal action over this treatment, and another senior Met officer, Shabir Hussain, could "adversely impact" on community relations in London.

In a statement issued on behalf of the 20 members of the advisory group, the organisation's co-chairman Ben Owusu said he and his colleagues believed that Sir Ian and the Met had a good record on combating discrimination.

"While we recognise that there is always more to be done, we have seen over the last nine years, effective and passionate leadership by the Metropolitan Police Service in the area of equality and diversity, which has resulted in measurable successes," it said.

Mr Owusu told of their concern that "recent press reporting of cases involving individual senior police officers could adversely impact upon the achievements the service has gained to improving community/police relations, since the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report".

He added: "In the interests of London's communities and in particular, black and minority communities, if we are to continue building upon the successes gained in increasing trust and confidence and to attract greater numbers of recruits from diverse communities to the police service, then there needs to be a unified approach."

The Met's Independent Advisory Group is made up of members of the capital's different ethnic minorities and other minority groups. It monitors the force's activities, participates in consultations and delivers advice on how to improve the police's engagement with ethnic minorities.