A THURROCK man’s death was highlighted as the number of people dying during or after dealings with Essex Police increased by a third in the last year.

New data, released by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), found a total of nine deaths in the Essex Police area in 2017/18, compared to six the year before.

A majority of the deaths – seven – did not involve an arrest, but happened following police contact and were subject to an investigation.

Raymond Alan Knight, 55, of Western Avenue, West Thurrock, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply on November 19 by Essex Police, but died while in custody.

A police spokesman said: “Over the past 12 months there have been nine people who have sadly died following some level of contact with Essex Police.

“On seven occasions the deaths followed incidents where the circumstances meant no arrests were made, which is indicative of the wide range of occasions where we come into contact with the public.

“We regularly review our procedures and handling of incidents where someone has died or becomes seriously injured to identify how we can learn from it and make improvements.

“The fact the IOPC has handed back many of these incidents to be investigated by our Professional Standards Department indicates there is no underlying issue with our handling of the circumstances.”

Nationally, police forces across the country recorded 23 deaths in or following police custody – the highest for a decade.

Commenting on the figures, IOPC director general Michael Lockwood said: “Every death is a tragic loss for the families involved, and it is vital that each one is thoroughly investigated.

“As the first director general of the IOPC, I am determined that we raise awareness of these cases.

“It is important that we help police and other agencies learn lessons from our investigations, and that we hold the police to account where they act improperly.

“Numbers across the categories of deaths fluctuate year on year, and care needs to be exercised in considering them against a backdrop of the numerous interactions the police have.

“The rise is concerning viewed against a trend of falling numbers over the last decade.

“What is clear is that many present a complex and challenging set of factors.”