Investigation into the death of Blair Peach

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The Met has released reports and other documentation in relation to the death of Blair Peach in 1979.

Blair Peach attended a demonstration against a National Front meeting in Southall on the 23rd April 1979. At about 12.10am on the 24th April he died in hospital. Post mortems later showed he died of a head injury. At the time of his death there was a thorough investigation which stated that fourteen witnesses said they saw a police officer hit Blair Peach and that there is no evidence which shows he received the injury in any other way.

This of course is and has always been a grave concern to the Met.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have provided us independent advice stating that there is nothing which would currently justify carrying out a further investigation. Considering the understandable amount of public interest and the significant amount of time that has passed, now that we have had this advice from the CPS, we have shared the reports with the family of Blair Peach and the public.

More information about what the Met has released, what we have done to enable us to share these documents as well as a comment from the Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, is included below.

Synopsis of the Met's response

A schedule of documents enclosed in Parts 1 - 14

Overview of the Southall demonstration, Investigating officers’ reports into the death of Blair Peach and the decision of the then Director of Public Prosecutions

Discipline papers, civil action proof statement, Solicitors’ correspondence, Investigating officers’ reports into the death of Blair Peach, 1999 review of investigation, post-mortem examination reports and statements, and 2010 reports from Forensic Science services

Statements obtained in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach

Statements obtained in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach

Statements obtained and records of taped interviews in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach

Statements obtained and records of taped interviews in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach

Statements obtained and records of taped interviews in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach

Statements obtained and records of taped interviews in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach

Statements obtained and records of taped interviews in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach, Forensic Science Service memorandum

Statements obtained and records of taped interviews in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach

Statements obtained and records of taped interviews in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach

Statements obtained and records of taped interviews in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach

Statements obtained in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach

Statements obtained in connection with the investigation into the death of Blair Peach

Report of Commander Cass dated 12 July 1979. The names of police officers, members of the public and other parties have been replaced with pseudonyms. An asterisk has been used to replace any other information that would lead to the identification of any person

Report of Commander Cass dated 14 September 1979. The names of police officers, members of the public and other parties have been replaced with pseudonyms. An asterisk has been used to replace any other information that would lead to the identification of any person

Report of Commander Cass dated 23 August 1999. The names of police officers, members of the public and other parties have been replaced with pseudonyms. An asterisk has been used to replace any other information that would lead to the identification of any person

Reports from the Forensic Science Service. The names of police officers, members of the public and other parties have been replaced with pseudonyms. An asterisk has been used to replace any other information that would lead to the identification of any person

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Investigation into the death of Blair Peach