Girl killed after fleeing police had removed handcuffs

A teenage girl who fled a police vehicle and was killed after being hit by a car on the M5 had been able to remove her handcuffs and climb from the back to the front seat, it has emerged.

17 year-old Tamzin Hall, died as she was being taken to a custody suite in Bridgwater by two officers in an Avon and Somerset Police car in November last year.

On Thursday, an annual report on deaths following police contact gave additional details about how Tamzin, who had been arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage, got out of the car.

The report, published by watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct, detailed how she was able to remove her handcuffs and climb from the rear passenger side seat to the front passenger seat of the police car.

The report, which does not name Tamzin, says:"A female child was arrested for assault and criminal damage. "She was placed in the rear passenger side of a marked police car and handcuffed with her hands positioned in front. An officer was seated next to her during transport. "While on her way to custody, the child managed to remove her handcuffs, climb into the front passenger seat, access the front passenger door and get out of the moving car.

"The child ran across the road and was struck by a vehicle being driven by a member of the public, on the opposite carriageway. The child died at the scene."