Keir Starmer says he understands public 'concern' at footage showing police officer stomping on men at Manchester Airport amid wave of protests

Sir Keir Starmer said he understood public 'concern' as video showing a police officer kicking men at Manchester Airport triggered a wave of protests today.

The Prime Minister said he has sent Home Secretary Yvette Cooper north to meet mayor Andy Burnham in the wake of the brutal footage filmed at the transport hub on Tuesday night. 

Greater Manchester Police today said it had suspended an officer over an incident where a man being detained was kicked in the head and stamped on while being restrained.

The footage, which also showed an officer kicking a second man in the head, triggered a protest outside a police station in Rochdale last night, with a second planned for tonight.

Asked about the video on a visit to Runcorn this morning, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 'I've seen it myself. I understand that concern.

'There has now been the suspension of one police officer this morning and the Home Secretary is meeting the Mayor of (Greater Manchester) to discuss this as we speak now.'

And Rochdale's new Labour MP Paul Waugh went further. Speaking in the Commons he said he planned to meet the victim's family tonight to discuss what happened.

'The video footage of a Greater Manchester Police officer stamping on and kicking a man in Manchester Airport is truly shocking and disturbing,' he said.

'Our police face a very difficult job every day in keeping us all safe, but they themselves know that they have to expect the highest standards of conduct in their duties.'

Mr Waugh asked whether the House could discuss 'the important issue of police conduct'.

Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell, herself the Labour MP for Manchester Central, said she would pass his comments on to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and added: 'As I said, clearly the footage is incredibly disturbing and there's understandably a lot of concern, particularly in his constituency because it was his constituent affected.'

GMP said an officer had been suspended from 'all duties' following a 'thorough review of further information that has become available'. It has made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for a full investigation. 

Police said three of their officers had been assaulted, including a female PC who suffered a broken nose, and four men were arrested.

In a statement on Thursday morning, a force spokesman said: 'We understand the deep concerns that have been widely raised with us, and will continue to meet and discuss these feelings with Greater Manchester residents and elected representatives, whilst this independent investigation takes place.'

Meanwhile, a lawyer representing the two men seen being arrested in the footage said 'justice has to prevail'.

Akhmed Yakoob, a director at Maurice Andrews Solicitors in Birmingham, is representing two men, named as Amaad and Fahir, who were filmed being arrested by taser-wielding cops at the airport on Tuesday.

Solicitor Mr Yakoob said he intended to file a complaint of assault on behalf of the pair against the officers, adding: 'We will be peaceful and we will get justice.'