Any police force is, by its very nature, going to attract complaints.

It is a huge body of men and women who is dealing with the public on a front-line basis every single day, and very often many of those who have contact with the police don't necessarily want to be in that situation.

But while many complaints might be made out of anger, frustration or sheer mischief, it is vitally important that every one is dealt with properly.

Because as well as upholding the law, the police are public servants who must run their affairs as transparently as possible and who must be accountable for their actions.

West Yorkshire Police has, according to latest figures from the Independent Police Complaints Commission, experienced a rise in complaints on the previous year of some 24 per cent.

This brings the total number of complaints levelled against the police in the county to exactly 1,000 over the period. Of course, West Yorkshire is a large area with a high population, and when the figures are looked at in terms of number of complaints per 1,000 officers, West Yorkshire does fare well against similarly-sized forces elsewhere in the country.

That said, it is interesting to note that two thirds of the appeals from members of the public concern the fact that West Yorkshire Police did not record their initial complaints properly.

No matter how insignificant a complaint might seem, it is vital that the proper procedures are always followed when a member of the public has cause to raise an issue with the police.

Only that way can everyone be completely sure that all complaints are being dealt with properly.