PEOPLE in Bradford have been assured their concerns about police are taken seriously after a watchdog report showed complaints about West Yorkshire officers had increased by 26 per cent.

But statistics published by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) also revealed that the number of appeals by dissatisfied complainants had fallen by six per cent.

West Yorkshire Police received 1,255 complaints in 2014/15, with 274 appeals logged.

Nationally, more than 37,000 complaints were made against police, up by six per cent, and the number of appeals rose by seven per cent.

In West Yorkshire, 62 per cent of cases were investigated formally, rather than through informal local resolution processes.

The force upheld 12 per cent of complaints and 46 per cent of its investigation appeals, while the IPCC upheld 54 per cent of appeals made about West Yorkshire Police complaint investigations.

On average, it took 82 days for West Yorkshire Police to resolve a complaint.

Head of Professional Standards for West Yorkshire Police, Chief Superintendent Julie Sykes, said: “West Yorkshire Police continues to take complaints against officers and staff seriously, and has developed all aspects of the complaints system to raise the standards of the service provided and make it easier for members of the public to provide feedback.

"The report shows the number of complaints dealt with by West Yorkshire Police rose by 26 per cent, in line with regional and national findings. The report also shows a considerable rise in local resolutions, indicating an improvement in the length of time it takes to investigate and finalise complaints.

"Since this data was submitted to the IPCC, training has been provided to staff across the Force which has also led to the volume of appeals being upheld falling from 41 per cent to 18per cent."

Chief Supt Sykes added: "While the report shows West Yorkshire Police is improving, we will strive to ensure that our local communities remain confident their concerns are taken seriously and will be dealt with effectively.”

She said the rise in the number of complaints reported was almost entirely due to the way in which they were now recorded, following recommendations from the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and the IPCC to ensure that West Yorkshire Police had the ability to appropriately check its own procedures and performance.

IPCC chairman, Dame Anne Owers, said: “The figures for England and Wales show a complaints system that is both over-complex and inconsistent, and is clearly failing to satisfy a significant number of complainants. Chief Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners should look closely at the figures for their own forces to satisfy themselves that complainants are being treated fairly and well.

“However, the underlying problem is the system itself. We welcome the fact that the Government proposes to bring in legislation to simplify and streamline a system that at present satisfies neither those who need it nor those who have to operate it.”