Battle of Stokes Croft - builder Simon Lewis mauled by police dogs

bristol | policing | news report Saturday June 25, 2011 13:57 by Tony Gosling

On Bristol Community FM's Friday Drivetime yesterday evening we heard from Montpelier builder Simon Lewis who was attacked by three police dogs and hospitalised on the second night of the Easter 'disturbances'. This is the third programe I have focussed on those riots and the third time Avon & Somerset police press office have turned down my invitaton to appear. 
This is a decision made not by officers but at Portishead HQ by Media Relations Manager Victoria Tag and her boss, Amanda Hirst, Head of Corporate Communications for Avon and Somerset Police. These decisions appear to contravene the publicly funded police's committment to dialogue with the community.
Avon & Somerset's Force's Media and Public Relations Policy states as follows: 'the philosophy underpinning that policy is to be open, honest, fair and accountable with the media and, through the media, with the communities we serve.'


Bristol builder Simon Lewis mauled by police dogs at Easter disturbances
http://bcfm.org.uk/2011/06/24/17/friday-drivetime-24/6150 - hi-fi
http://radio4all.net/index.php/program/52660 hi-fi
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/06/481236.html - lo-fi

Hearing Simon's horrific tale I respectfully suggest that far too many people appear to have been attacked, who were simply witnessing as bystanders, filming or on their way home on those evenings. 
Not by rioters but by the police who still remain to be held to account for their actions. 
Please forward this petition to other email lists as you deem appropriate.

PS legal adviser to Avon & Somerset police is Ms Susan Dauncey. (Bradley Stoke, Gloucestershire)

Inquiry into Stokes Croft Disturbances
http://epetitions.bristol.gov.uk/epetition_core/view/disturbances
Lead petitioner : Ben Appleby

We the undersigned call upon Bristol City Council to use all means open to them to lobby national government for a full public inquiry into the events leading up to and including the disturbances in and around the area of Stokes Croft, Bristol on the nights of the 21/22 April and 28/29 April.

Background information

The violent disturbances on the dates of 21/22 April and 28/29 April are scenes that should not be repeated in Bristol or other cities. We the undersigned believe that the background to these events raises serious concerns in a number of national policy areas including, but not limited to the following: the impact of councils and planning processes on local communities; policing tactics; the role of very large corporations in local communities; housing provision and uses of derelict buildings.

An independent inquiry, funded from national sources, with a broad remit must be commissioned:

· to present an unbiased chronology of the events of the two nights in question

· to identify the true causes and long term factors leading up to and contributing to the disturbances

· to analyse how the parties involved responded in the aftermath of the disturbances

· to present recommendations to be taken on board by policy developers in the specific areas the report will highlight

The aftermath of the disturbances is of ongoing concern to the residents of Stokes Croft and surrounding areas. It is our strong belief that resolution can only be achieved via a public inquiry. The findings of the inquiry will be of national significance and will help other communities around the country.