Police facing £42m bill for riots damage
POLICE can be sued under a Victorian law for the £42million damage caused during a riot at an immigration detention centre, the Court of Appeal ruled yesterday.
The claim against Bedfordshire Police Authority by the Yarls’ Wood centre’s operators and their insurers had been dismissed last year in the High Court.
But three appeal judges yesterday ruled that the 1886 Riot (Damages) Act, which allows companies and individuals to sue the police over loss caused by “any persons riotously and tumultuously assembled together”, could be used in the claim by security firm GSL, formerly Group 4.
There will now be a High Court hearing to determine liability and the amount of damages. Costs of the action so far, estimated at around £500,000, were awarded against the police. There has already been a ruling in the Court of Appeal that the force’s insurers will be responsible for covering any losses.
Almost half the detention centre at Clapham, Bedfordshire, was destroyed by fire on Valentines Day, 2002.
High Court judge Mr Justice Beatson said that although the police had a “fundamental duty” to maintain law and order, they had done nothing wrong in deciding to stay on guard at the perimeter fence until invited on to the site by the operators.
But Lord Justice Rix said Group 4’s efforts to control the riot were severely hampered by limited powers of arrest.