THE 11-day inquest into the death in police custody of Lenny McCourt has been an uncomfortable episode for Durham Police.

No matter what led up to the 44- year-old grandfather’s arrest, there was a duty of care on the officers involved – and that was not carried out adequately.

The unpredictable circumstances officers often face when bringing situations under control have to be taken into account, and the fact that Mr McCourt was suffering from an undetected heart condition could not have been foreseen.

Nevertheless, the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, last night issued a report underlining the failings which had been the focus of an 11-day inquest.

Officers did not monitor Mr Mc- Court after he had been pepper sprayed and then failed to administer adequate first aid when he collapsed in the back of a police van on the way to Peterlee police station.

As a result, disciplinary proceedings will now take place.

While this has been a highly regrettable case, we welcome the firm stance taken by Durham’s temporary chief constable Mike Barton.

In a statement, he said: “I joined the police to protect people. Mr McCourt died while in our care. I would like to say to Mr McCourt’s family that from a personal point of view, and on behalf of Durham Constabulary, I couldn’t be more sorry.”

Mr Barton has promised that lessons will be learned from the tragedy and we trust that they will.