Former head of police watchdog charged with raping child

Michael Lockwood resigned as director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct in December

Michael Lockwood (Helen William/PA) (PA Archive)

The former head of Britain’s police watchdog has been charged with raping a child, and other sexual offences.

Michael Lockwood, 64, resigned as director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in December.

On Friday, he was charged with nine sexual offences following an investigation by Humberside Police.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he was accused of six counts of indecent assault and three offences of rape against a girl under the age of 16, which are alleged to have been committed during the 1980s.

Rosemary Ainslie, head of its Special Crime Division, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr Lockwood are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.”

Mr Lockwood is due to appear at Hull Magistrates’ Court on 28 June charged with six offences of indecent assault and three offences of rape, all between October 1985 and March 1986.

He was appointed to lead the IOPC in 2018, and was made co-chair of the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission after heading up recovery and remediation work and liaising with bereaved families.

Mr Lockwood previously held senior roles in the Local Government Association and at Harrow London Borough Council.

In March, the IOPC announced an independent review that it said would establish the circumstances of his resignation “to ensure that relevant IOPC processes and policies are fit for purpose”.

The watchdog oversees the police complaints system in England and Wales, investigating serious incidents such as deaths following police contact, and setting standards.