A police officer has been suspended from all duties after a video emerged appearing to show a man being kicked in the head while he lay on the floor at Manchester Airport.
The incident sparked a protest outside Rochdale Police Station late on Wednesday night as the hundreds gathered chanted “shame on you” over the disturbing video.
In the shocking footage a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer appears to kick and stamp on the head of a man lying face down on the floor, with a woman kneeling beside him.
The video, said to have been filmed at Manchester Airport’s terminal two on Tuesday, also appeared to show the officer strike a second man.
Police said three of their officers had been assaulted, including a female Pc who suffered a broken nose, and four men were arrested.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has called for “calm” following the incident and said the full footage showed a “fast-moving and complicated” situation with “issues for both sides”, but said it was “right” that the officer had been suspended.
Further protests are expected outside Mr Burnham’s office at 6pm.
Key Points
- Police officer suspended from all duties after footage of man kicked in face at Manchester Airport
- Manchester Airport video men have made assault complaint to police, lawyer says
- Home secretary Cooper expresses ‘deep concern’ over incident and urges swift investigation
- Home secretary Cooper meeting with Manchester mayor Burnham
- Rochdale MP describes footage as ‘shocking and disturbing’
Home secretary expresses ‘deep concern’ over incident and urges swift investigation
15:35
Joe Middleton
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said it is “extremely important” that an investigation into footage of a police officer appearing to kick a man is able to happen “swiftly” and “thoroughly”, as she expressed “deep concern” over the incident.
She said: “I share the deep concern surrounding the video and understand the widespread distress it will have caused. I welcome the initiation of an independent investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct following a referral from Greater Manchester Police.
“It is extremely important that the IOPC are able to begin the investigation swiftly and conduct it thoroughly, examining all of the evidence, with clear and transparent ways for all those affected to be able to raise their concerns with the IOPC.
“I welcome the engagement by the Mayor of Greater Manchester with local communities. It is essential that the police have the trust of communities and the public rightly expect high standards from those in charge of keeping us safe.
“I am continuing to receive updates from Greater Manchester Police. It is vital that we now allow this investigation to proceed fairly and independently.”
Greater Manchester mayor Burnham watches full footage and says it's not a ‘clearcut situation’
14:46
Joe Middleton
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said he has seen the full footage leading up to an incident where a police officer appears to kick a man as he lays on the floor and that it was “not a clearcut situation”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One: “It was, I think, an issue on a flight coming into Manchester Airport.
“When the flight landed, two individuals ... were waiting for their mum, who I think said that there’d been an issue on the flight and she pointed somebody out and then there was an altercation in the arrivals hall.
“And then that individual who was involved in that - or a couple - were followed by cameras through the airport, and then we get to the scene that people have seen, which is in the car park area of Manchester Airport.
“So there had been already a serious incident before that. What people don’t see in the clip is that there is a situation which escalates and escalates very quickly. “
He said there were issues “on both sides” but reiterated that the footage everyone has seen is “disturbing” and said it was right to refer the situation to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to investigate.
Watch: Ex-Met Chief reacts to police officer kicking man in head at Manchester Airport
14:30
Joe Middleton
Home secretary Cooper meeting with Manchester mayor Burnham
14:00
Joe Middleton
Yvette Cooper is meeting with Andy Burnham “as we speak” over the footage appearing to show a police officer kicking a prone man in the head, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Asked about the video in Runcorn, Cheshire, the prime minister said: “I’ve seen it myself. I understand that concern.
“There has now been the suspension of one police officer this morning and the Home Secretary is meeting the Mayor of (Greater Manchester) to discuss this as we speak now.”
Greater Manchester mayor Burnham responds to Reform MPs comments
13:35
Joe Middleton
Taking part in a phone-in on BBC Radio Manchester, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham was asked about comments made about the footage by Reform MPs Lee Anderson and Richard Tice.
Mr Anderson posted on social media site X that the “vast majority of decent Brits would applaud this type of policing”, while Mr Tice told TalkTV the video was “reassuring” rather than “distressing”.
Mr Burnham said: “In the world that I described a moment ago, a social media world that rushes to judgment, if your elected representatives do that as well I think you’re heading in a very dangerous direction in society.”
He added: “Society is not helped by politicians rushing to join the clamour.”
MP is ‘deeply concerned’ with ‘abuse of power’
13:17
Joe Middleton
Independent MP Adnan Hussain said reports of a police officer kicking a man at Manchester Airport showed a “complete abuse of power”.
The MP for Blackburn told the Commons: “I’ve been inundated with messages of concern and upset from my constituents following the horrific images that have come from Manchester Airport.
“I myself I’m deeply concerned with what can only be described as a complete abuse of power.
“Again, will the (Leader of the House Lucy Powell) join me in assuring the general public that we should never have to witness such scenes of violence in a country like ours, where no authority is above the law? And that all necessary measures must be taken to investigate how and why such an incident arose and for the general public to be reassured?”
Ms Powell replied: “As a Manchester MP, myself, I was absolutely disturbed by that footage as well.
“And understandably it’s caused a lot of public concern and it was truly shocking to see, other colleagues have raised that here on the floor of the House this morning.”
She added: “Let’s hope we don’t see scenes like that again.”
PM understands ‘level of concern’ over video
13:01
Liam James
Downing Street said the public expects high standards of conduct from police officers.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Clearly we understand the level of concern members of the public rightly have from seeing this video clip.
“The public rightly expect a high standard of conduct from our police officers, who are there to protect our communities.”
Asked whether Sir Keir Starmer shared the Reform UK deputy leader’s view that the police action was “reassuring”, the spokesman said: “No, he wouldn’t characterise it like that.
“As I say, he understands the concern that members of the public rightly have in relation to that video, the public rightly expect a high standard of conduct from our police and it is right that the police have reported themselves to the IOPC.”
Manchester Airport video men have made assault complaint to police, lawyer says
12:44
Joe Middleton
Two men whose violent arrests at Manchester Airport sparked protests have made a formal complaint of assault, their solicitor has said.
A police officer has been suspended from all duties following a “thorough review of further information” after a video emerged showing a man being kicked in the head and stamped on during a chaotic arrest by Taser-wielding police on Tuesday.
Police appeared to land a blow to the back of the neck of a second man as he was taken to the terminal floor with his hands behind his head.
A lawyer representing the men said they had to make their own way to hospital to be checked for head injuries after they were released from custody.
Our crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin has the latest:
Ex-Met chief says Manchester Airport police officer’s actions were ‘disproportionate and unnecessary’
12:35
Joe Middleton
A former Metropolitan Police chief has described the actions of an officer who kicked a man in the face at Manchester Airport as “totally disproportionate and unnecessary”.
Ex-Met Superintendent Leroy Logan reacted to the footage, which has been shared widely on social media, when he appeared on Good Morning Britain on Thursday (25 July).
Greater Manchester Police - which said it understood people’s “immense feeling of concern” - has since removed the officer from operational duties and has referred itself to the police watchdog for investigation.
Greater Manchester mayor Burnham appeals for calm over ‘very disturbing’ video
12:22
Joe Middleton
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham appealed for “calm” after a protest following footage of a police officer appearing to kick a man, but said the incident is a “fast-moving and complicated situation”.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, Mr Burnham said the video he had seen online was “very disturbing”.
He said he has since been able to view full footage of the incident.
He said: “Firstly, I would say that it is a fast-moving and complicated situation in a challenging location, obviously at the airport. It is not clear-cut, I would say, and there are issues for both sides in the situation.
“That said, here’s where I want to be really clear: it is right that the officer has been suspended. That is the right action, it is abundantly clear to me that the right steps have been taken.”
He added: “I would ask for calm because what I can assure people is that the right and proper steps have been taken in the right way.”
Rochdale MP describes footage as ‘shocking and disturbing’
12:18
Joe Middleton
Rochdale MP Paul Waugh has described a video which appeared to show a police officer kicking a man as he lay on the floor as “shocking and disturbing”.
The Labour MP told MPs: “The video footage of a Greater Manchester Police officer stamping on and kicking a man in Manchester Airport is truly shocking and disturbing. That man is one of my constituents in Rochdale and I’m meeting his family later today.
“Our police face a very difficult job every day in keeping us all safe, but they themselves know that they have to expect the highest standards of conduct in their duties.”
Mr Waugh asked whether the House could discuss “the important issue of police conduct”.
Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell, herself the Labour MP for Manchester Central, said she would pass his comments on to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and added: “As I said, clearly the footage is incredibly disturbing and there’s understandably a lot of concern, particularly in his constituency because it was his constituent affected.
“GMP has said that the officer involved has been immediately suspended from all duties and a referral has now been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).”
Home secretary Cooper meeting with Manchester mayor Burnham
12:16
Joe Middleton
Yvette Cooper is meeting with Andy Burnham “as we speak” over the footage appearing to show a police officer kicking a prone man in the head, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Asked about the video in Runcorn, Cheshire, the prime minister said: “I’ve seen it myself. I understand that concern.
“There has now been the suspension of one police officer this morning and the Home Secretary is meeting the Mayor of (Greater Manchester) to discuss this as we speak now.”
Police officer suspended from all duties after footage of man kicked in face at Manchester Airport
12:14
Joe Middleton
A police officer has been suspended from all duties following a “thorough review of further information” after a video emerged showing a man being kicked at Manchester Airport, police said.
The footage sparked protests outside Rochdale Police station on Wednesday night as hundreds gathered chanting “shame on you” after a Greater Manchester Police officer was filmed making the chaotic arrests on Tuesday evening.
The shocking video, shared widely on social media, appeared to show a Taser-wielding officer kick a man in the face before stamping on his head as the suspect lay on the floor with his arms by his side.
Our crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin has the latest here: