A FORMER Lord Advocate has delivered a devastating indictment of the police complaints system in Scotland which found that attitudes towards racism had not changed in 20 years.

The review was ordered in June 2018 following concerns raised with the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) over the case of Sheku Bayoh, who died in police custody in 2015.

In a report that runs to almost 500 pages, Dame Elish Angiolini QC recommended that investigations into such deaths should be treated with the same urgency as homicide investigations.

Angiolini’s review heard from various groups who felt the Scottish Police Federation did not represent all its members equally, and did not properly represent Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) officers well.

She said: “Much of the evidence presented to me by some serving officers from Black and Asian minority ethnic communities was a chastening reminder that in the police service and in the wider community attitudes have not changed as much as they should have since 1999 – the year of the Macpherson report of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry – or as much as we may like to believe that they have.”

Although there was a drive to recruit BAME officers, the experience of some recruits had caused them to leave, often within three to five years.

The review heard during a focus group that ethnic minority officers were leaving because of the culture of the police and the way they were treated.

Angiolini added: “I accept that the Police Scotland executive team acknowledge the presence of discriminatory attitudes and behaviours within Police Scotland and are committed to dealing with it but in the light of the very worrying evidence that I have received, I consider that issues related to discrimination and their impact on public confidence in Police Scotland should be the subject of a broader, fundamental review of equality matters by an independent organisation.”

Solicitor Aamer Anwar, who represents the Bayoh family and who contributed to the review, said: “Today’s review is a devastating and damning indictment of a police complaint system not fit for purpose in a modern and democratic Scotland.”

He described the report as “robust”, and added: “For far too long there has been a culture of denial of the issue of racism especially by those who represent the rank and file, the Scottish Police Federation.

“They have previously rejected any assertion that the Police Service of Scotland is institutionally racist or that race in any way played a part in the response to, or events that followed the tragic death of Sheku Bayoh, but in this report they are subjected to criticism by their own BAME officers as is Police Scotland.”

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf and Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC welcomed the report. Yousaf said: It is in the interests of everyone in the police family, as well as the wider public, that we ensure the systems for investigating complaints or other issues of concern are as robust and transparent as possible.”

Scottish Police Federation general secretary, Calum Steele, added: “We welcome the fact that Dame Elish has recognised the bar for misconduct investigations against police officers is too low, the recommended introduction of lay members in misconduct hearings, and the recommendation to examine the workloads and number of supervisors in the police service.

“We are disappointed that no examination or recommendations have been undertaken or made in respect of the exponential delay that the Crown Office add to the police complaints system.”