Nicholas Dumphreys

“In the course of the inquest I heard evidence about the role of the National Association of Police Fleet Managers ('NAPFM'). BMW UK made several presentations to NAPFM with a view to them publicising concerns about the N57 engine to their members. However, I heard evidence from the current chair of NAPFM and it is important to make two observations. First, NAPFM membership is not mandatory. There are police fleet managers who, for whatever reason, might not choose to join. Second, NAPFM has no”

“Evidence was given as to how 'end of life' police vehicles are disposed of. It was explained that quite frequently such vehicles are sold at auction. In relation to vehicles with N57 engines I heard that a particular effort was made to ensure that they were not auctioned but were destroyed. However, this appeared to me to be an ad hoc arrangement. I am concerned that there is no policy or guidance which ensures that equipment which is known to be faulty is not auctioned off and purchased by uns”

“The evidence that I heard indicated that there are no national standards for police garages and mechanics. I can understand that overly prescriptive guidelines might not be fit for purpose; the nature of different police areas may place very different demands on vehicles. A 'one size fits all' policy could be problematic. However, I am concerned that the absence of any standards risks inadequate performance going unnoticed.”