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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has begun an investigation into the actions of three former Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers and their involvement in Operation Augusta.

Operation Augusta was a 2004 police and social services investigation into child sexual exploitation in South Manchester.

Greater Manchester Mayor’s Office published a review of this investigation in January 2020, which raised concerns about the conduct and decision-making of some of the officers involved.

GMP made a referral to the IOPC in February 2020. Since then we have sought further information from GMP in order to establish whether we had a legal basis to decide whether to investigate. In addition, some of the officers no longer worked for GMP but had moved onto other policing bodies, which meant that those other bodies had to consider making a separate referral.

Over the last few months, we have been working to ensure any conduct matters have been recorded, specified and referred to us by GMP and the former officers’ most recent employers.

After careful consideration of the information provided, we have begun an independent investigation into three former GMP senior officers; two of whom have retired and the third is currently working for another organisation.

They are being investigated for their conduct in the supervision and setting the direction of Operation Augusta.

IOPC Director of Major Investigations Steve Noonan yesterday said:

“This has been a lengthy but necessary process, and it has taken some time to gather the information required to make a decision whether it was necessary to investigate, and who should conduct the investigation.

“The Mayoral review raised many questions about the actions of those involved in Operation Augusta. We have now decided it is necessary to investigate the individual conduct of these three former GMP officers who were all involved in either supervising or setting the direction of Operation Augusta.

“Though the content of the Mayoral review has been analysed as part of our decision to begin an investigation, it was not a specific investigation into the actions of the officers involved. We now need to establish and examine all the available evidence. The investigation is in its early stages.”