Former Senior Met Cop Takes Bahrain Role

Former Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates is to oversee the reform of the police force in the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain.

He will work with former head of Miami police John Timoney to overhaul the force to ensure its rocedures meet international human rights standards, The Daily Telegraph reported.

In a report by an independent panel appointed by King Hamad bin Isa al- Khalifa, Bahrain's police were heavily criticised for using excessive force and torture to crackdown on protesters.

Ten months of protests by predominantly Shia Muslim demonstrators, demanding democracy from the Sunni monarchy, left at least 35 people dead, including members of the security forces.

At least 3,000 protesters were detained, with hundreds of them appearing before military courts.

"Bahrain's police have some big challenges ahead, not dissimilar to those the UK itself faced only a couple of decades ago, but I have been impressed that the King is doing the right thing by pressing on with big reforms," he told the newspaper.

"I look forward to speaking to Bahrain's chief police officers, going out with them on the streets to see the challenges they face, seeing what structures they have in place and helping them to deal better with public order, arrest and detention issues."

At least 20 police officers are to face prosecution over the abuses, according to officials.

Mr Yates quit his job at Scotland Yard in July amid questions over his links with a former executive at the News Of The World, who later worked at the Met, during the phone hacking scandal.

He was cleared of any misconduct by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.