Police watchdog IOPC orders Hampshire police to investigate Gosport War Memorial Hospital corruption complaint

The IOPC intervened after David Wilson, whose aunt Dulcie Middleton died at 86 after being transferred from the hospital in 2001, alleged corruption in the force dating back to the first allegedly suspicious death.

As reported, Mr Wilson - representing several families - said around 100 lives could have been saved if police acted properly on the first allegation following Gladys Richards’s death on August 21, 1998.

A criminal investigation, Op Magenta, is looking into hundreds of deaths at the Bury Road site between 1987-2001.

It comes after a panel report in 2018 found around 650 patients had their lives cut short by the use of opioids without justification.

Mr Wilson complained in 2019 saying Hampshire police ‘totally ignored the truth of what was happening’. The force has admitted failings in its investigations.

But a detective inspector told Mr Wilson the force ‘did not find that there was any indication that criminal conduct had taken place’.

Now the IOPC has looked at the response and said Hampshire must now investigate the complaint, and explain its rationale better - including taking in turn allegations against named officers.

Mr Wilson told The News: ‘There is no trust in Hampshire Constabulary continuing to investigate itself as it fails to act reasonable and proportionately, as confirmed by the IOPC.

‘The investigation which the IOPC now accepts must take place must be undertaken by the IOPC itself or an independent force (not Kent or Essex), if the families have their way.’

A Hampshire police spokeswoman said: ‘We will look at every point the IOPC has raised in detail and that will inform exactly what we do next.

‘What we already know is that we need to explain more clearly the rationale behind the decisions that we have made.’

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