Report: British protest policing flawed

LONDON, July 7 (UPI) -- A British police inspector says the tactics used to counter protesters at this year's London Group of 20 summit were inadequate and should be changed.

Denis O'Connor, Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, said in a report issued Tuesday a dissection of police actions at the summit underscored that too much effort was placed on tackling violent protesters and not enough placed on allowing peaceful expression, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Police are not properly trained to deal with telling the difference between different types of protesters, O'Connor's report said, stating: "The treatment of the spectrum of protest activity in the current ACPO (Association of Chief Police officers) manual is insufficient. There is a clear need for consistency and standardization in advance of the 2012 Olympics."

The Telegraph said the report also found inconsistent use by police of "kettling" techniques, whereby protesters are penned into areas for hours at a time. O'Connor said officers should be more flexible when using it and inform non-demonstrators who get swept up in them how to exit.