IPCC Commissioner ahead of public meeting re Smiley Culture

IPCC Commissioner Mike Franklin will be on the panel this evening at the public meeting about the death of Smiley Culture. Ahead of the meeting, Mr Franklin said: "There is no doubt in mind  my about the seriousness of this case and about the scale of shock and  anger people feel about it. I am mindful that our investigation needs to be thorough and robust but that it also needs to be done as quickly  as possible because people are rightly demanding answers. "Having said that, the key to this investigation will be  information we can obtain from forensic examinations of evidence  gathered at the scene using the scientists and experts we have commissioned. These things take time, and we do not have control over  how long these examinations will take, but I will be doing everything I can to ensure that this investigation moves forward as quickly as  possible.  "I know that one aspect of this case which has caused much concern  to those who knew Smiley is the anonymous sources that were quoted in the press within hours of his death.  "Firstly I want to say that I am absolutely confident that those  sources were not from the IPCC. Secondly, I want to say that I share  the frustration and I know our investigators do too. Not only is it  incredibly insensitive to be briefing journalists before the man's  family had been given the facts as could be established at the time,  but it is also unhelpful to our investigation and totally irresponsible  to be stating as fact information that has not been independently verified.” The public meeting will take place this evening, Thursday 24 March  2011 at Lambeth Town Hall.