London Transport Region Motion Agreed - Justice for Christopher Alder Campaign

This Branch/Region notes:
Christopher Alder, a former paratrooper, died in police custody in 1998. Christopher Alder choked to death on the floor of a police station in Hull where the CCTV recorded officers chatting and saying that Christopher was faking illness. They also appear to be making monkey noises at him and laughing.

An inquest in 2001 recorded his death as unlawful killing. A year later, a court cleared the five police officers of manslaughter and misconduct. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in 2006 found the officers guilty of a “most serious neglect of duty” and “unwitting racism”.

This Branch/Region further notes:
In 2011, 13 years after his death, it came to light that it was not Christopher Alder at all who was buried in the family grave but the body of an elderly woman named Grace Kamara who died of natural causes in 1999.

The ‘mix up’ was only discovered when members of Grace’s family asked to see the body before it was buried. Christopher Alder’s body had remained in the mortuary for the past 11 years.

Janet Alder, Christopher’s sister explained: “I was in shock. They have treated us like dirt. The Council didn’t have to be rocket scientists to find out if they had the right body. Don’t they have a process for embalming the body? How did they get it into the coffin?”

The Justice for Christopher Alder Campaign have secured copies of CCTV evidence from the West Yorkshire and Humberside Police forces of the night that Christopher died in 1998. It is believed that this CCTV evidence may potentially contain new information that could re-open the Christopher Alder case.
The Justice for Christopher Alder Campaign is seeking solidarity and financial support to secure the professional and Independent transcription of those CCTV tapes. This financial appeal aims to secure £5,000 to cover costs for the transcription.

This Branch/Region Resolves:
1) To support and affiliate to the Justice for Christopher Alder Campaign
2)To donate .............. towards the transcription of the CCTV evidence obtained

(Cheques made payable to: ‘Justice for Christopher Alder Campaign’. Post to: c/o
Andy Makin, Red Triangle Cafe, 160 St. James Street, Burnley, Lancashire, Burnley,
BB11 1NR)