IPCC investigates High Wycombe death independently

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has started the inquiry into the death of a High Wycombe man.

At about 7.15 p.m. last night, Thames Valley Police officers stopped a car  and conducted a search, under the Misuse of Drugs Act, on three people sitting in a car in a public carpark.  

In the course of the search, one of the people, a  man, aged 39, encountered breathing problems and an ambulance was called.   He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.  

The incident occured near Lee Court, Sharrow Vale in High Wycombe.   The other two people have been interviewed as witnesses.    

In the course of the incident a package was seized.  It will be the subject of forensic analysis.

IPCC on-call investigators went to the scene early this morning.   The investigation will be conducted by IPCC senior investigator Malcolm Niblo.      A post-mortem will be conducted this afternoon at Stoke Mandeville Hospital..  

IPCC Commissioner Deborah Glass promised: "We immediately decided that this investigation would be carried out independently.   On behalf of the coroner we will seek to establish exactly what happened and what caused the death."

Notes for editors

The IPCC has overall responsibility for the police complaints system. Since April 2006 it has taken on responsibility for similar, serious complaints against HM Revenue and Customs and the Serious Organised Crime Agency in England and Wales. The IPCC’s jurisdiction was extended in 2008 to cover UK Border Agency staff exercising police-like powers.

The IPCC has the task of increasing public confidence in the complaint systems and aims to make investigations more open, timely, proportionate and fair.

The 14 Commissioners who run the IPCC guarantee its independence and by law can never have served as police officers. No Commissioner has worked for HM Revenue and Customs. They are supported by more than 100 independent IPCC investigators plus casework managers and other specialists.

Since April 1 2004 the IPCC has used its powers to begin 264 independent and 663 managed investigations into the most serious complaints against the police and other agencies. It has set new standards for police forces to improve the way the public's complaints are handled. The Commission also handles appeals by the public about the way their complaint was dealt with by the local force.

The IPCC is committed to getting closer to the communities it serves. Its Commissioners and staff are based in IPCC regional offices in Cardiff, Coalville, London and Sale plus a sub office in Wakefield.

The IPCC web site is constantly updated at www.ipcc.gov.uk or members of the public can contact the IPCC on 08453 002 002.

For further information please contact:

Richard Offer, Head of Media
Tel: 020 7166 3214
Fax: 020 7166 3514
Mob 07710 381890
Journalists only out of hours: 07717 851 157
Email: richard.offer@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk