Scotland Yard told to pay £250,000 for 'cowardly' racial abuse of arrested man

Scotland Yard has been ordered to pay almost £250,000 compensation to a man who suffered "cowardly" racist abuse and permanent injuries when he was arrested.

Sylbert Farquharson received one of the largest sums awarded against the police yesterday after a court found he had been a victim of assault, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

Last night Mr Farquharson's solicitor, Tony Murphy, asked the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir John Stevens, to suspend the officers involved in the case immediately. "This judicial finding represents an excoriating indictment on officers who remain in their jobs," he said. "The Commissioner had an opportunity to prove his commitment to anti-racism by prosecuting these officers. I am referring the file on this matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions."

A damning criticism of the officers had been delivered by Judge Michael Dean at Central London County Court.

The court heard that Mr Farquharson, who is black, had been stopped and searched in Stockwell, south London, in 1995. He claimed he had been knocked to the ground and handcuffed, causing permanent damage to his wrists.

At Brixton police station he was subject to abuse which included one officer suggesting tying one of his shoes to his belt to give him a tail because he was black. The suggestion was said to have come from a community relations officer, PC Kevin Bridgeman, who was one of at least five officers at the scene of the arrests.

The judge found that Mr Farquharson had been "subjected to explicit racist abuse in the street and a particularly vicious and cowardly form of racist abuse at the police station". Officers later fabricated a version of events which led to Mr Farquharson and another man involved in the incident being prosecuted, he added.

Mr Farquharson was awarded £243,488. The police will also have to pay an estimated £500,000 in legal costs.

Two other men arrested with Mr Farquharson had settled similar claims out of court for £80,000. The Metropolitan Police did not admit liability. It said there had been no decision on disciplinary measures.