Manchester - The Chief Constable of one of Britain's biggest police forces yesterday acknowledged the existence of "institutionalised racism" within his ranks.
The admission, by Mr David Wilmot, of Greater Manchester Police, was welcomed by antiracism campaigners who immediately contrasted it with recent comments by the Metropolitan Police Chief Constable, Sir Paul Condon, who refused to accept such charges.
But it brought swift condemnation from Mr Wilmot's own rank and file. The chief constable was commenting during a press conference at the inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which was sitting outside London for the first time yesterday.