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Update on investigation into incident at Perry Barr custody suite

Factual summary of a published IOPC investigation, covering the incident, key findings and outcome.

All IOPC reports
Published
2021-12-23
Investigation type
independent
Force involved
West Midlands Police

What was investigated

An IOPC investigation is being conducted regarding allegations that a Sikh man had a religious head covering forcibly removed while in the custody of West Midlands Police. The investigation focuses on the alleged racially motivated actions of officers toward the man.

Key findings

  • A complaint was made regarding the man's treatment.
  • A Sikh man had a religious head covering forcibly removed.
  • Allegations suggest officers’ actions were racially motivated.
  • One officer received a gross misconduct notice for the use of force.
  • Six officers received misconduct notices for failing to challenge the officer's actions.
  • Notices served indicate potential breaches of police conduct standards.

Outcome

The investigation is ongoing, and misconduct proceedings will be determined upon its completion.

Read the full report on policeconduct.gov.uk

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Reviewed by the BlueLineHub Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 13 July 2026 · Next review due: 13 January 2027

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.