Paddick 'police thugs' claim

Controversial police chief Brian Paddick claims that some officers are "criminal thugs".

The Lambeth commander's allegations were made on an anarchist website in response to claims of police brutality during the Millwall football riot earlier this month.

Forty-seven police officers were injured in violence by up to 900 hooligans in what Scotland Yard's Deputy Commissioner Ian Blair called "the most serious street football violence ever seen in London".

Commander Paddick's comments came after claims by a website contributor that four riot squad officers beat up an innocent teenage fan. Mr Paddick said: "I would not like to say what size of minority are criminal thugs masquerading as police officers."

Writing under his pen name Brian the Commander, Mr Paddick added: "What I do know is that a substantial majority of police officers will feel betrayed by this sort of behaviour.

"We all have a responsibility to identify and testify against these people including, primarily, police colleagues of the officers concerned."

Glen Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, was outraged at the "disgraceful" comments.

"To respond to an unsubstantiated allegation by suggesting that some police officers - his colleagues - are 'criminal thugs' simply beggars belief," he said.

In March Mr Paddick was moved from his post in Lambeth to a desk job following allegations that he allowed cannabis to be smoked in his home.

Mr Paddick, 43, who spearheaded a "softly, softly" approach to cannabis in the south London borough, is now the subject of a police investigation but is widely expected to keep his job.