Law chief under pressure to put officer on trial over G20 death

The Government's chief law officer was today asked to review the decision not to prosecute the riot squad officer who pushed Ian Tomlinson to the ground before his death during the G20 protests in London last year.

Labour MP Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, wrote to Attorney General Dominic Grieve urging him to re-examine the Crown Prosecution Service's decision on the fatality.

Amateur video footage shows newspaper seller Mr Tomlinson, 47, being hit with a baton and falling to the floor during the demonstrations.

In his letter, Mr Vaz said: "My committee has noted and shares the considerable public concern about the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions not to pursue a prosecution in the case of Ian Tomlinson. I am therefore writing on behalf of the committee to ask you to review his decision not to prosecute in this case."

However, Mr Grieve has backed the conclusions reached by the CPS and overseen by DPP Keir Starmer.

He said he understood the "dismay" at the outcome not to prosecute but insisted that he does not doubt "the seriousness and propriety" of the decision-making in this case. Mr Vaz welcomed the announcement by Met chief Sir Paul Stephenson to start "disciplinary proceedings for gross misconduct" against Pc Simon Harwood.

The 43-year-old, a member of the Territorial Support Group deployed during the protests, has been suspended from the force.

Prosecutors concluded that while there was evidence of an assault, conflicting medical evidence convinced them there was no realistic chance of a conviction. A post mortem by pathologist Dr Freddy Patel found that Mr Tomlinson died of natural causes.

But two other pathologists concluded his death was due to internal bleeding from "blunt force trauma to the abdomen" as well as cirrhosis of the liver.

Mr Tomlinson's family have condemned the decision not to bring a prosecution but welcomed the launch of disciplinary action. Mr Vaz has also written to Home Secretary Theresa May stressing concerns raised by the home affairs committee in the last Parliament over police force at demonstrations.