Chief Constable backs response by police during Midlands riots

West Midlands Chief Constable Chris Sims today robustly defended his police force's handling of the riots that swept across Wolverhampton, West Bromwich and Birmingham.

He denied his officers had been too slow to react and insisted his force began planning a response even before it had any intelligence that the looting and rioting in London might spread to the West Midlands.

Mr Sims admitted he was "taken by surprise with the speed and intensity" of the disorder, but steps were taken to build up a police response and resour-ces in case the region was affected by copycat riots.

Appearing before the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee at Westminster alongside Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe, he said some of the "heroic policing activity" could be seen in places like Dudley and Walsall, where by putting scores of uniformed officers on the streets and working with community groups, police prevented disorder in other parts.

"Now that didn't prove possible in our three hotspots – the centre of Birmingham, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton," he said.

"Given the information that I knew, did I do the right things?

Did I act proportionately? I believe that I did. I believe our tactics were right."