Police officers have stopped independent custody visitors viewing prisoners on CCTV – in case they breach their human rights.

Members of the Sussex Police Authority, which oversees Sussex Police, is even worried the independent custody visitors (ICVs), should not view fixed CCTV in town centres.

As a result the authority’s committee responsible has agreed that the ICVs – members of the community appointed to make sure the welfare of people detained in police stations is maintained – viewing of CCTV footage in custody will be suspended.

The decision has been slammed by Nick Herbert, MP for Arundel and the South Downs. The Shadow Justice Secretary said: “This is absolutely ridiculous. These independent visitors are there to ensure the welfare of prisoners.

How can they possibly do so if they can’t see them?

“This won’t protect the rights of the prisoners. It will undermine them. It just shows how ludicrous the effect of the human rights act has become.”

The authority’s astonishing revelation was made in a report which said: “The ICV liaison inspector (Hastings custody inspector) raised concerns regarding ICVs viewing CCTV footage in custody.

“It was felt this could be a breach of detainees’ privacy, as they had not consented to being viewed in this way by ICVs.”

The report added that the ICV liaison inspector would seek clarification from the Home Office on the issue of ICVs monitoring fixed CCTV in town centres. An authority spokesman said: “Independent custody visitors started to view CCTV output when it was introduced to the custody facilities.

“This was as an addition to their face-to-face contact with detainees and was purely in the interests of checking on their welfare.

“The objective of their involvement was to provide reassurance to the wider community that the systems were operating fairly and properly.

“As stated in the Home Office/ACPO guidance document Safer Detention and Handling of Persons in Police Custody 2006, it is a matter of local discretion.

“We are carrying out a review of the scheme as a whole. In the meantime, custody CCTV monitoring by ICVs will be suspended, pending the outcome of the review.”

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