Police chief in human rights abuse plea (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Police chief in human rights abuse plea

9:02am Wednesday 14th May 2008 in

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West Yorkshire's most senior detective has made a scathing attack on the use of the Human Rights Act by murderers and rapists to protect themselves from UK law.

Detective Chief Superinten- dent Chris Gregg said dangerous criminals were trying to use the legislation to complain about their own human rights being breached.

Mr Gregg was speaking out only days before he leaves his post as head of West Yorkshire Police's Homicide and Major Enquiry Team (HMET) to take up a senior position with LGC Forensics, one of the biggest forensic science service providers in the country He said: "These criminals have committed such appalling crimes and it is the families of the victims and the bereaved who are left behind and have to suffer the indignity of hearing them claim their human rights have been breached. It is such an appalling situation."

Det Ch Supt Gregg said he was not calling for the legislation to be scrapped but it needed to be used in a "balanced" way.

He said: "We have lost sight of the needs of the victims and the families here."

Mr Gregg led the team that tracked down former US Marine David Bieber, who murdered traffic officer Ian Broadhurst, who lived at Birkenshaw, Bradford. Bieber is appealing against his whole-life sentence arguing it breaches his human rights