Police chief warns British police could go back to ’60s’ amid claims of anti-white bias | crime

False claims that police are biased against white people could send policing back to the 1960s, a black British police leader has said.

Ch Insp Andy George, chairman of the National Black Police Association, spoke amid growing concerns that politicians such as Nigel Farage are making baseless and provocative claims, stoking tensions over the murder of teenager Henry Nowak.

Senior police figures were also included in response to his claims that handcuffing Novak after he was stabbed in Southampton last December amounted to double policing and prejudice against white people.

They also criticized Farage, saying the response to the killing called for “cold anger”.

Keir Starmer has accused Britain’s reform leader of ignoring the wishes of the family of a dead teenager and called the reform leader’s actions “unforgivable”.

Novak’s father Mark accused police of “inhumane and degrading” treatment of his son.

But he added: “We don’t want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We hope his story will help make our streets safer for everyone.”

Hampshire police officer Alexis Boon, who is under investigation for the way she handled the incident, apologized on Wednesday for the way Nowak was arrested and handcuffed. He added, “I’m really sorry that you had to go through this.”

Nigel Farage used a question in the House of Commons to claim Britain was ‘living under dual security’, adding that this had led to ‘an outpouring of anger in Southampton last night’. Photo: House of Representatives/AFP/Getty Images

The murder of Nowak, an 18-year-old college student, sparked a national debate about policing.

The teenager was stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in December last year. Vickrum Digwa falsely claimed he was the victim of a racist attack.

In fact, Digwa stabbed Novak several times, but the police who arrived at the scene treated the student as a suspect. He was handcuffed and arrested, despite telling police he had been stabbed and couldn’t breathe.

The Guardian has learned that police chiefs have ordered increased intelligence gathering across the country about potential violence believed to be linked to far-right protests after 11 police officers were injured in Southampton on Tuesday.

George said spurious claims by politicians like Farage and far-right activists that policing is biased against whites could set back efforts to end systemic and long-standing bias against black people.

He said: “With the attacks from the far right, which have become increasingly mainstream over the past few years, there is a risk that policing will return to the 1960s and 1970s, long before Stephen Lawrence was murdered.”

Doreen Lawrence, who fought police for justice after killing her son Stephen in 1993, told the Senate: “I offer my condolences to the family of Henry Novak. I believe what happened to him should never have happened and the police must be held accountable for what happened that night.”

Henry Nowak was fatally injured by Vickrum Digwa in December 2025. Photo: Hampshire Police/PA

A police source admitted bodycam footage of the student’s final moments was “shocking”.

The incident is being investigated by the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Sir Andy Cook, who resigned as police chief in April, told the Guardian he found no evidence of anti-white bias during a survey of all forces in England and Wales.

He said politicians like Farage were trying to “exploit” the Novak case to “boost their political fortunes” and worsen tensions in the community.

Cook, who was appointed by the Conservatives and has received praise from both parties, said: “In my five years as an inspector, I have found no evidence whatsoever to support claims of anti-white bias in police operations.

“With the unrest in some communities, now is not the time to play politics with community tensions, especially after such a painful incident that caused great distress to the family of Henry Nowak.

He continued, “It is time for politicians to respect the wishes of the bereaved family and not try to use this tragic and painful situation to increase their political fortunes.”

His intervention comes as Southampton recovers from violence following protests led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon). It comes after Farage called for “outrage” over the way Nowak was treated by police.

He was stabbed by Digwa after an argument spiraled out of control, but police, unaware of how seriously injured he was, ignored his pleas for about three minutes that he had been stabbed and handcuffed him.

A senior police source said police believed politicians were “trying to escalate tensions for political gain” – meaning Farage, Robinson and some Conservative Party members – and were “reckless about whether their comments would cause trouble on the streets”.

Eleven police officers were injured in clashes in Southampton on Tuesday. Photo: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

In the House of Commons, Starmer and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch warned against divisive rhetoric, and the prime minister accused Farage of exploiting the tragedy for political gain.

“This is a time for serious work, not anger.” Starmer said of Farage’s call to respond to the incident with “pure, cold anger”.

Farage used the question to claim Britain was “living under dual policing” and said this led to “the outpouring of anger in Southampton last night”.

Starmer called the UK Reform leader’s comments “unforgivable” and said: “A grieving family has asked us not to respond in the way the Reform leader has responded… His response has been an appeal to anger. It is his response to a father who has lost his son and asked for it not to happen. Using this tragedy to foment discontent and division is wrong under any circumstances. But it is not right to do so when the family explicitly says please do not. It is unforgivable. That man It shows exactly who you are.”

The government and police are reviewing their commitment to stamping out racial prejudice against black people, but ministers are convinced some of the language is clumsy and open to attack.

Politicians and residents have condemned the violence in the Portswood area of ​​Southampton, where anti-police protesters clashed with police officers on Tuesday night.

Satvir Khan, MP for Southampton Test and the first woman Sikh to become a British government minister, said she needed security guards because she had received death threats when she visited the area.

Community leaders said there had been an increase in hate targeting Sikhs, with some changing their routines to avoid being targeted and additional police patrols around Sikh buildings.

Meanwhile, a former police officer was forced to flee to safety after being falsely accused of being involved in Novak’s arrest.

Christi Hill, who served as a police constable for 12 years, has accused social media and AI platforms, including Elon Musk’s Grok, of spreading false claims that she was one of the officers who arrested Novak. She said she left police a year before the murders.

Boone, Hampshire’s most senior officer, dismissed claims of anti-white bias, saying: “I don’t accept the term dual policing.”

He told the broadcaster that some of the criticism directed at Hampshire police was “unfair”.

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