Police praised for efforts to save Stewart’s life

Police officers who fought to save a grandfather’s life after a night out ended in tragedy have been praised for their efforts by the official watchdog.

A video clip from the CCTV of the Walkergate complex, shown as part of the evidence, has been released after the close of the hearing.

It shows another man being removed from the bar, while police are called in to help in the efforts to save Mr Anderson, who cannot be seen and is on the ground.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has now released the findings of its investigation into Mr Anderson’s death.

IOPC regional director Miranda Biddle said: “It is very clear from the evidence we gathered that the police officers who attended the scene that night did everything in their power to try and save Mr Anderson’s life. There is no indication that any of the officers involved breached the standards of behaviour expected of them; in fact, the officers performed their duties to a high standard in very difficult circumstances.

“As soon as the officers became aware that Mr Anderson wasn’t breathing, they began to administer CPR and called for urgent medical assistance. In this kind of dynamic situation every second counts and Pc Lee’s decision to start CPR before removing the handcuffs was vindicated by the pathologist.

“Whenever someone dies following contact with the police, it is our role to ensure public confidence by independently investigating the circumstances, and now that the inquest has concluded we can publish our findings.”

A Durham Constabulary spokesman said: “Our officers who attended the scene that night did all they could to try to save Mr Anderson’s life in extremely testing circumstances and the independent IOPC investigation has rightly praised their professionalism and their decision making.”