Please read... cannot believe this just happened after West End Drinks

You're right, sadly. The complaints system is a mess and forces do investigate themselves, it's true. Having brought in the region of 100 police complaints, I've seen very little 'success'. But sometimes success depends on your measure.

The point about them investigating themselves almost negates complaining.

I was arrested and dragged (no exaggeration) handcuffed off a bus in Camden some years back - they used those stiff one piece cuffs that nearly break your wrist if you don't hold your elbows together with your hands out of front of you - as I was being dragged down the stairs by the centre of the cuffs there was plenty of opportunity for the police officers to make sure my arms went out of position - and I can tell you it was pretty painful, I thought my wrists would snap.

As I was manhandled down the stairs by my neck and arms (I was not resisting) my precious Behringer Ultrafex II came down the stairs after me and was damaged beyond repair (not the world's most expensive piece of studio audio equipment but it took me a long time to save up for it I used it a lot back then and could hardly afford to replace it) - I was held outside the bus in the street with everyone on the bus staring at me as well as well as every passer by as there were around 20 or 30 officers, dogs, a couple of cars and a van.

I was held painfully cuffed with a police officer holding the middle part of the cuff for around 40 minutes, the police officer paid no attention to me and was generally looking away and talking to other officers as he held the cuffs, when I did try and get his attention with a very British "excuse me could I talk to someone . . . . . " he would simply shake the cuffs sending me almost into spasm with pain - it certainly did the job to silence me.

Eventually the thick as pig shit police force realised they had got the wrong person - the two people who they were after and they had already arrested (for running through a tube train nicking bags, then jumping on a bus in Camden) were kind enough to point out numerous times to the absolutely indifferent police officers that I was nothing to do with them - and I was 'de-arrested' (a word I had not know about until then, I thought the officer was being sarcastic, but it is apparently the correct term).

No appology, just 'right you are de-arrested'.

Anyhow to cut a long story short, eventually got back home with my now smashed Behringer Ultrafex II, fucked wrists and a small cut on the back of my neck and didn't think about complaining I was just glad to get out of there. About a week later I did decide to try and get some kind of closure on the whole (fairly traumatic) event, perhaps an apology or even a replacement Behringer Ultrafex II ?

Well that is when it became clear that this route simply does not exist, it is only when you attempt to complain (I went down to Kentish Town Police Station were the officers were from) that you realise they are simply not going to play that game. You get told to come back at 7, you do, the officer you want to see went at 6.50 you are told, they then say come back tomorrow at 2, you do, 'no you want the 'J' shift, they start at 10.15, back at 10.15, 'no, no you want to speak to the desk sergeant on the 'B' shift, come back friday after 4.00, you do, 'no, he went home at 2.00 - etc etc and so it goes.