Thames Valley Police has said it is 'committed to delivering an effective custody service' after a damning report published last week. 

Detective Chief Superintendent, Emma Garside said the force is taking the report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and Care Quality Commission 'very seriously'.

It comes after as inspectors found there were long waiting times and a lack of privacy at TVP's seven custody suites across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. 

The report said the force hadn't made enough improvement and raised concerns over 'dirty' cells, high workloads and 20 use-of-force incidents where it claimed a lack of detail was noted in the recording of the events.

READ MORE: Thames Valley Police told to improve custody suites in damning report

But now Det Ch Supt Garside, who is head of custody and criminal justice, said Thames Valley Police had 'carefully reviewed the details of the inspection report' adding 'We accept the findings'.

She said: "The report reflects the force’s position at the time of the inspection in July 2024 and does not take into account the actions taken to address the concerns and recommendations since then.

“We are pleased the report recognised that our custody personnel treat detainees with respect and dignity, that the needs of female detainees are catered for and that staff act in the best interests of children to safeguard their welfare.

"We will continue to build upon our strong collaborative relationships with key partners to ensure that those in mental health crisis have their needs met.

“Our quality assurance processes has completely changed since the inspection and I am confident that the issues raised are all being responded to.

“Since the last inspection, a number of improvements have already been made, such as upgrades to our CCTV and better authorisation for strip searches.

"We have also improved how we manage those in custody experiencing drug withdrawal or overdose.

“We remain committed to delivering an effective custody service across the force, being responsive to the needs of our staff and improving outcomes for detained people throughout the different stages of detention.”