Senior GMP Officer Slams Claims of CCTV Cover-Up in Shocking Strip-Search Scandal
Deputy Chief Constable Hits Back at Withholding Allegations
A top Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer has slammed accusations that the force deliberately withheld CCTV footage linked to serious claims of unjustified strip-searches. Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods insisted GMP will fully cooperate with any review ordered by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Disturbing Allegations Spark Independent Probe
The controversy erupted after three women came forward with chilling complaints. One woman alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while detained in 2021. The gravity of these claims compelled Mayor Burnham to launch a formal review.
Missing Two Hours of CCTV Fuels Fury
Matters worsened when it was discovered that two hours of crucial police footage from the detention period were “missing.” To get to the bottom of this, Burnham called on former victims’ commissioner Dame Vera Baird—also a seasoned lawyer—to lead an independent investigation.
GMP Maintains No Cover-Up, Explains Lost Footage
- GMP had previously referred these allegations twice to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
- Deputy Chief Constable Woods confirmed ongoing cooperation with the IOPC’s second referral.
- Efforts were made to recover the missing footage, but one disc was corrupted.
- By the time the problem was spotted, the original footage was overwritten following standard police protocol.
- Woods insisted, “There was no deliberate attempt to withhold the footage.”
- The force has secured the servers, with digital forensic experts scrambling to recover the lost videos.
