Claims against the police

The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police v Nugent [2026] EWHC 1465 (KB)

Over recent years, UK police forces have faced sustained rises in civil claims for compensation, with annual claim volumes increasing by approximately 38 per cent between 2019/20 and 2023/24 and payments of compensation reaching their highest levels in the same period. This upward trend spans a broad range of alleged wrongs, which include wrongful arrest, negligence, assault, property damage, and, increasingly, sexual misconduct by officers - reflecting both heightened public scrutiny and greater willingness to pursue redress through litigation. Against this backdrop of expanding police liability, the following case illustrates the types of operational and systemic issues that continue to generate legal challenge and financial exposure for policing bodies.