all credits: IOPC

published: 30 July 2026

Image Credit: Freerange Stock Archives at www.FreerangeStock.com

In July 2026 the Independent Office for Police Misconduct (IOPC) released details of their custody deaths statistics for England and Wales 2025-2026.

The following content is adapted from the IOPC website.

Deaths during or following police contact
Each year, we [The IOPC] publish data showing how many people have died after contact with the police. The report provides a definitive set of figures for England and Wales. It gives an overview of the nature and circumstances of these deaths.

Brief summary of the report:

This report presents figures on deaths during or following police contact that happened between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. It provides a definitive set of figures for England and Wales, and an overview of the nature and circumstances in which these deaths occurred.

During 2025/26, there were:

• 15 road traffic fatalities
• 4 fatal police shootings
• 27 deaths in or following police custody
• 67 apparent suicides following police custody
• 63 other deaths following police contact that
• were independently investigated by the IOPC

Demographic information about those who died is provided in the report, along with details about the circumstances of their death and a summary of trend data. The appendix contains more information, such as the age, gender and ethnicity of those who died, and information about the police force or appropriate authority involved. (The appropriate authority is usually a chief officer or police and crime commissioner).

Some of the investigations into the deaths recorded in the report are ongoing at the time of publication. Details about the nature and circumstances of these cases are based on information available at the point of analysis.

Read full article & data tables here >

Download report here >

Other News:

INQUEST: Statistics on state-related deaths

Continuously updated

INQUEST: Deaths of people in and following police contact

1 September 2026