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| Police accused of 'complacency' | Police accused of 'complacency' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A jury has accused Lancashire Police of "institutionalised complacency" after a trainee officer was convicted over the death of a man in a 94mph road crash. | |
| Pc Sean Schofield, 38, of Lancashire Police, was found guilty of careless driving at Liverpool Crown Court. | Pc Sean Schofield, 38, of Lancashire Police, was found guilty of careless driving at Liverpool Crown Court. |
| Peter Williams, 67, was killed when Pc Schofield's marked vehicle hit his car on a narrow country road near Over Kellett, Lancashire, in November 2006. | Peter Williams, 67, was killed when Pc Schofield's marked vehicle hit his car on a narrow country road near Over Kellett, Lancashire, in November 2006. |
| The officer's car was travelling at 94mph when the crash happened. | |
| The seven men and five women of the jury sent a note to the judge criticising Lancashire Police for allowing the high-speed training exercise on the country road, which had a speed limit of 60mph. | The seven men and five women of the jury sent a note to the judge criticising Lancashire Police for allowing the high-speed training exercise on the country road, which had a speed limit of 60mph. |
| The officer's car had been travelling at speeds of up to 104mph before the collision. | The officer's car had been travelling at speeds of up to 104mph before the collision. |
| We believe the Lancashire Police force were guilty of institutionalised complacency with regards to training and driving at high speeds on open, public roads Jury at Liverpool Crown Court | We believe the Lancashire Police force were guilty of institutionalised complacency with regards to training and driving at high speeds on open, public roads Jury at Liverpool Crown Court |
| Pc Schofield, who was acquitted of causing death by dangerous driving, was testing in-car Vascar (Vehicle Average Speed Computer and Recorder) equipment that involved him chasing a car driven by trainer Pc Andrew Massingham, 41, to register its speed. | Pc Schofield, who was acquitted of causing death by dangerous driving, was testing in-car Vascar (Vehicle Average Speed Computer and Recorder) equipment that involved him chasing a car driven by trainer Pc Andrew Massingham, 41, to register its speed. |
| Pc Massingham was also acquitted of causing death by dangerous driving and did not face the alternative charge of careless driving. | Pc Massingham was also acquitted of causing death by dangerous driving and did not face the alternative charge of careless driving. |
| Pc Schofield was fined £500 and banned from driving for two years. | |
| The jury's note, which Judge Brian Lewis said he fully endorsed, read: "The course was flawed by poor management, poor design and poor preparation from the highest level. | The jury's note, which Judge Brian Lewis said he fully endorsed, read: "The course was flawed by poor management, poor design and poor preparation from the highest level. |
| "We believe the Lancashire Police force were guilty of institutionalised complacency with regards to training and driving at high speeds on open, public roads. | "We believe the Lancashire Police force were guilty of institutionalised complacency with regards to training and driving at high speeds on open, public roads. |
| "We believe the practice of 'cascade' training for this particular type of activity, far from reinforcing the importance of health and safety, has actually had a detrimental effect." | "We believe the practice of 'cascade' training for this particular type of activity, far from reinforcing the importance of health and safety, has actually had a detrimental effect." |
| 'Alternative duties' | 'Alternative duties' |
| Mr Williams, of Bolton-le-Sands, was in his VW Touran with his wife Jean, 65, when the accident happened. The couple were on their way to the Yorkshire Dales for the weekend. | |
| Mr Williams, a retired academic, suffered severe chest and leg injuries and died in Lancaster Royal Infirmary the next day. Mrs Williams broke both wrists in the collision. Speed-registering equipment was being tested when the crash happened | |
| Lancashire Constabulary's Assistant Chief Constable Chris Weigh said that since the incident the two officers had been on alternative duties. | Lancashire Constabulary's Assistant Chief Constable Chris Weigh said that since the incident the two officers had been on alternative duties. |
| "In view of today's verdict, both will remain on alternative duties while we digest what the IPCC have said and also what has been said in court," he said. | "In view of today's verdict, both will remain on alternative duties while we digest what the IPCC have said and also what has been said in court," he said. |
| "Following the collision in 2006, the decision was taken to suspend Vascar training in order to see what lessons could be learned from the incident. | "Following the collision in 2006, the decision was taken to suspend Vascar training in order to see what lessons could be learned from the incident. |
| "This type of training is still suspended and will not be introduced until a new training module has been developed that incorporates everything that we have learnt." | "This type of training is still suspended and will not be introduced until a new training module has been developed that incorporates everything that we have learnt." |
| 'Tragic incident' | |
| The prosecution was brought by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) which issued a statement following the trial claiming that it should act as a catalyst for forces nationwide to discuss whether such police training is appropriate. | |
| Commissioner Mike Franklin said: "This was a tragic incident and my deepest sympathies go out to the Williams family. | |
| "I have noted today's verdicts and I will be seeking urgent discussions with Lancashire Constabulary about the findings of our investigation and whether there will be any disciplinary matters relating to the two officers. | |
| "The key step also is for discussions to take place nationally to determine the appropriateness of this kind of police training." |