麻豆社 News, coverage of incident at Manchester Airport, July 2024

Summary of complaint

We鈥檝e received complaints from some people who felt 麻豆社 News coverage of an incident at Manchester Airport was biased against Greater Manchester Police.


Our response

We have reported that footage was recently shared online of an incident at Manchester Airport, showing an officer kicking and stamping on a man鈥檚 head. The video sparked widespread reaction, including protests outside Rochdale police station and in Manchester city centre. The officer has since been suspended by Greater Manchester Police, which also said that it understood the 鈥渋mmense feeling of concern鈥 that had been raised. We also reported comments from Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, who said the footage showed that there were 鈥渋ssues on both sides鈥.

Our initial reporting made clear what was known of the wider context at the time - that officers were called to a fight at the airport, and were assaulted when they tried to make an arrest. We highlighted that this resulted in the officers requiring hospital treatment, with one female officer suffering a broken nose. When CCTV footage became available showing what had happened prior to the incident, we featured this prominently across 麻豆社 News.

We have reflected all police statements on this incident, and have explained that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is looking into the circumstances in a thorough and robust investigation.

We will continue to report on this developing story with due impartiality as any new details emerge.