'I knew something was not right and this review proves that': Mum mistreated in police custody

Chantelle Allan, who shared her experience in custody with the Baird Inquiry, joined Granada Reports in the studio, along with Maggie Oliver, who supports victims

A mum who says she "knew something was not right" about the way she was treated in police custody believes an inquiry into the treatment of women by Greater Manchester Police "proves that".

Chantelle Allan says she is "disgusted" at the way she was treated after being detained by Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

Initially, she was told that she was just being taken to the police station for questioning, but that was not the case.

She said: "When I got to custody, they actually made a comment about how polite and how nice I am and that I was like the nicest person to go to the police station for affray.

"I didn't really understand what affray was and I asked them to explain it.

"They said that apparently I was making someone feel scared for their life, which through all the body-camera footage that has been seen, I wasn't."

Lawyer Dame Vera Baird carried out an independent report into the treatment of women and girls taken into custody by Greater Manchester Police, which was published on Thursday 18 July.

It calls for urgent changes to the way women are treated by GMP when they are arrested and taken into custody.

It follows allegations by a number of women who said they had been subjected to unjustified strip searches.

Among the findings in a report were that the women were "unlawfully and unnecessarily" arrested, with "officers often taking the side of the other party over them".

The cases of 12 women - and three men - were examined by Dame Vera Baird.

Chantelle was one of the women spoken to by Dame Vera, she has waived her anonymity.

When someone is detained, the person will usually be able to make a telephone call once they have been processed on arrival at the police station.

However, Chantelle recalled being "refused" the call while in police custody.

She said: "When I was in custody, I asked for a phone call so I could make sure that somebody could go and collect my kids, I've got a really poorly child, and they refused my phone call.

"I asked to speak to my solicitor, they also refused that. I was on my time of the month and needed sanitary products and when I pressed the buzzer to ask for some, they said 'you'll get your phone call when we are ready to give you your phone call'.

"I didn't need a phone call at that point. It had already been hours [since requesting the phone call], so I just needed some toilet roll."

Chantelle said that even after requesting the sanitary products "no one came to the cell" and "no one answered my call".

When an officer finally came, it was only to take her fingerprints and picture of her.

"He had seen the state that I was in and he got me a clean jumper because I had to use my jumper to clean myself up and when I left, I asked the sergeant who bailed me for a bag for my jumper because it was all soiled," she said.

"When I left police custody, I made a complaint online about the way I was dealt with and I received a phone call off a sergeant and he said that I was treated fairly, that I was just a bit emotional."

Dame Vera carried out the review after it was commissioned by the region's Metro Mayor Andy Burnham.

Her report found serious failings in the arrest and detention of 14 people who came forward, including unjustified strip searches after their arrests.

When speaking to Lawyer Dame Vera Baird about the review, Chantelle said "it actually came to my attention that the officer that dealt with the complaint was the sergeant who had arrested me. He dealt with his own complaint.

"He was the one to decide what he had done wrong and what he had done right and it's not fair. It is so unfair.

"I knew something was not right and this review proves that. I'm so disgusted in the way that they thought I was treated fairly. I was just so distressed."

In response to the inquiry, GMP have apologised and said they accept the recommendations made in the inquiry.

They also say they have made "some improvements" but acknowledge there is "much more to do".

In a statement, GMP said: "We have apologised and accepted the recommendations of an inquiry into the treatment of people in our custody that was commissioned following serious allegations in July 2023.

"Dame Vera Baird’s report was published today (18 July) and identified issues around our use of arrest, care for domestic and sexual abuse survivors, treatment of women and men in custody, use of strip-search, and the handling of complaints.

"While some improvements to address Dame Vera’s recommendations have already been made, we fully acknowledge there is much more to do around the cultural practice of strip-search, particularly for welfare purposes."

"We have fully engaged with Dame Vera’s report and continue to provide all requested and available materials in relation to ongoing investigations relating to the inquiry."