Two Cleveland Police officers have received formal warnings following an Independent Police Complaints Commission managed investigation into the theft of firearms from an armed police response vehicle.

The firearms - a SIG 9mm pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition, a Taser stun gun and three baton rounds – were taken from the vehicle on 27 August 2006. They were recovered the following day and Lee Solan subsequently pleaded guilty to offences of theft and possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment.

The incident was voluntarily referred by Cleveland Police to the IPCC who decided to manage the force’s investigation.

The investigation found that two police constables had arrested Mr Solan on Crescent Road, Middlesbrough, on suspicion of riding a motorcycle with excess alcohol. Mr Solan’s motorcycle was seized and taken to the Road Policing Unit in Cannon Park, Middlesbrough. One officer rode the motorcycle while the other transported Mr Solan in the armed response vehicle (ARV).

From Cannon Park, Mr Solan was then transported to Stockton Police Station. One officer left his firearms with his colleague and checked Mr Solan in to the custody suite. The officer who remained in the car put the firearms into a gun cabinet in the rear of the ARV.

Mr Solan undertook a breath -*test*-('") at the police station which proved negative. He was released without charge.

The officers then transported him back to Cannon Park to collect his motorcycle. During this journey Mr Solan discovered the gun cabinet in the ARV was open and decided to take the firearms.

The investigation found a number of failings in relation to the actions of the officers on that night and in relation to Cleveland Police’s policies:

The officers had failed to adequately ensure their firearms were safely and securely stored; Cleveland Police did not have any standard operating procedures for ARVs which meant there was no clear direction in relation to the security, storage and transportation of weapons, or in relation to how members of the public should be transported in ARVs.

The officers did seek advice from a senior officer in relation to the recovery of the motorcycle but all three breached force policy.

Cleveland Police’s policy in relation to the safe transportation of prisoners is very ambiguous and puts the onus on individual officers to decide the safest mode of transport. In this instance Mr Solan was not restrained, even when he was in the vehicle with one officer, and the investigation concluded this was an uncontrolled and dangerous method of transport.

The officer who rode Mr Solan’s motorcycle to Cannon Park did so with his firearms on full display. This was regarded as uncontrolled and dangerous.