IT was a grim day for the police yesterday.

Here in the North-East, traffic policeman John Dougal was left in no doubt that he can expect to go to prison for the dangerous driving which claimed the life of 16-year-old Hayley Adamson.

That can be the only outcome to a horrifying case in which PC Dougal accelerated to more than 90 miles per hour in a residential area without activating his warning lights or siren.

It would have been bad enough if it had been a civilian behind the wheel in Newcastle that night. That it was a law-enforcer adds to the gravity of the offence.

Policemen are there to make communities safer – not more dangerous.

And that brings us to the independent inquiry which has been launched into the death of 47-year-old Ian Tomlinson in London.

Video footage shows Mr Tomlinson being shoved to the floor by a police officer after he got caught up in the demonstrations surrounding the G20 summit. Mr Tomlinson died of a heart attack shortly afterwards.

The inquiry comes amid increasing concerns about police tactics in dealing with the protestors.

We understand the increased tensions in the capital, the added security considerations, and the difficult balance our police forces have to find as they fight crime in these volatile times.

But the right to protest peacefully is fundamental to the health of our society and it must not be stifled.

And we cannot have officers of the law attacking innocent people simply because they choose to take an inconvenient route home.