Following the incident that took place in Staines-upon-Thames on Friday night, I have been in regular contact with senior officers from Surrey Police who have kept me updated on the situation.
I fully appreciate the distress and strength of feeling this incident has caused and the understandable concern of both the local community and the wider public.
Surrey Police has made an internal referral to its Professional Standards Department and have also referred the matter to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) for independent consideration.
I am confident this is absolutely the right course of action to follow. Whilst I appreciate the public want answers about the events of Friday night and the circumstances leading up to it, I would continue to ask that everyone allows time for this to be properly reviewed.
Surrey Police has vowed to ensure this matter is diligently investigated so that a full understanding of what took place and why can be properly established. I would like to reassure Surrey residents that in my key role of holding the Force to account, my office will be scrutinising that process to ensure it is thorough and robust. I am also committed to fully supporting any investigation by the IOPC and will be closely monitoring any developments in this case.
Lisa Townsend
Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey