Police watchdog investigate alleged racial discrimination in the police

A review is being launched by the police watchdog into whether police in England and Wales racially discriminate.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will examine stop-and-search and the use of force conducted by officers.

This follows a recent stop-and-search incident involving British sprinter Bianca Williams after which the Metropolitan Police issued an apology and number of other incidents that have been caught on camera.

The review will investigate and gather evidence from cases where there may have been an element of racial discrimination to identify systematic issues. By doing this, the review hopes to "drive real change in policing practice" according to Michael Lockwood, IOPC director-general.

The IOPC may also look into cases where it was alleged that police did not treat BAME victims of hate crimes as victims.

This inquiry could be the most significant examination of the police service since the Macpherson inquiry back in 1999, which found the police force to be institutionally racist.

A series of current cases from London, Birmingham and Greater Manchester that are being investigated because of alleged use of excessive force and the use of Tasers against black men.

Stop-and-search powers from the police are nine times more likely to be used on black people than white people in England and Wales.

On average, each year the Met police receives more the 250 complaints on alleged racism. But less than 1% are upheld.

The most recent stop-and-search figures in May for the Met showed a reduction after an eight-year high of 43,000 stops.