Met Police: Black man stopped and searched but not white friend

The amount paid by the Met police to Mr Bent has not been revealed

A black man who was stopped and searched while his white friend was not has reached an out-of-court settlement with the Metropolitan Police.

Tallan Bent, 36, a security officer at the Houses of Parliament, accused officers of racial discrimination.

The father-of-three complained to the Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog before taking legal action.

The Met Police settled the claim before it went to court but has not admitted liability.

Mr Bent's legal action was funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

A Met spokesperson said: "The Met received a claim in relation to the stop and search of a man under the Misuse of Drugs Act on 21 April 2020 in south-east London.

"The claim was settled before proceedings were issued and without any admission of liability."

Mr Bent had been sitting on his bike talking to a friend in a parked car in Lewisham, south-east London, when two police officers pulled over.

'Targeting young black men'

He was handcuffed and searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act because the officers felt he was wearing two many layers of clothing for the time of year and using a bike that was too small for him.

His white friend was not searched and neither was the car.

Nothing illegal was found on Mr Bent.

In a statement, Mr Bent said: "I find it hard to believe that the police are still targeting young black men.

"The only reason for this seems to be racial discrimination and it has to stop.

"I hope that by bringing my claim against the police I have shone a light on their failure to respect my rights and I want people who experience mistreatment by the police to know that they can make their voice heard.

"I find it shocking that the complaint took so long to resolve and I strongly believe the complaints process needs reform."

The amount paid to Mr Bent has not been revealed.

Figures from the London mayor's office, released in December 2022, revealed black Londoners of all ages were three times more likely to be stopped and searched than white Londoners between April and June 2022.

'Law is clear'

An Equality and Human Rights Commission spokesman said it would continue to monitor the use of stop and search by police.

"As Britain's equality regulator, our legal support fund helps individuals to seek justice by covering the costs of legal action in race discrimination cases.

"The law is clear: no one should be subjected to harassment or discrimination due to their race or ethnicity, either at work or elsewhere.

"We have longstanding concerns about the disproportionate use of stop and search by the police. We will continue to monitor this."

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