Criminal investigation after 80-year-old man fell ill in custody of Cheshire Constabulary
Factual summary of a published IOPC investigation, covering the incident, key findings and outcome.
- Published
- 2026-01-20
- Investigation type
- independent
- Force involved
- Cheshire Constabulary
What was investigated
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating after a man became seriously unwell while in the custody of Cheshire Constabulary. The man was taken into custody after being arrested for suspected drink driving and subsequently suffered a stroke while detained.
Key findings
- The man did not speak upon arrival in custody.
- Welfare checks were conducted regularly on the man.
- He appeared to have a seizure around 6am.
- He was taken to hospital where it was confirmed he had a stroke.
- Concerns were identified about the use of force during a cell check at around 4.30am.
- A police officer is under investigation for the criminal offence of assault.
- There are potential gross misconduct issues involved.
- It is unclear if the police use of force contributed to the man's condition deteriorating.
Outcome
The investigation is ongoing to determine the circumstances of the man's arrest and whether any criminal or misconduct proceedings will follow.
Related on BlueLineHub
- Accountability hub — how oversight of UK policing works
- IOPC outcomes & learning feed
- Cheshire Constabulary force profile
This is a factual summary of a report published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Individuals are referred to exactly as the source report anonymises them. BlueLineHub is independent and not affiliated with the IOPC · Summarised 2026-07-13.