FIVE police officers facing misconduct charges in connection with the death in custody of black musician Sean Rigg denied all allegations against them today.

Constables Andrew Birks, Richard Glasson, Matthew Forward and Mark Harratt and Sergeant Paul White appeared at the opening of the Metropolitan Police misconduct hearing.

They could be sacked if they are found to have breached standards of professional behaviour in the case of 40-year-old Mr Rigg, who died after suffering a cardiac arrest while in custody at Brixton police station in August 2008.

Mr Rigg, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was arrested in Balham after reports had been received that he was aiming karate kicks at passers-by while bare-chested.

The start of the hearing, also attended by members of Mr Rigg’s family including his sister Marcia, was delayed while the panel needed to read through documents.

Lawyers representing the officers considered asking for the hearing to be scrapped under the “abuse of process” argument, claiming that their client could not receive a fair hearing more than 10 years on from the events in question.

Marcia said: “If I have to sit outside in a corridor while a panel decides any part of these gross misconduct charges in secret, including whether a full hearing is to take place, it will once more confirm for me that the system for police accountability in this country is not fit for purpose.

“A democratic state cannot allow significant charges of gross misconduct to be decided behind closed doors or cut short when only a full hearing held in public throughout is in the public interest.”

It is alleged that the standards of professional behaviour were breached by Mr Birks in relation to his duties and responsibilities, by Mr Glasson, Mr Forward and Mr Harratt in relation to their honesty and integrity, use of force, abuse of authority and duties and responsibilities, and by Mr White in relation to his honesty and integrity and duties and responsibilities.

At an inquest in 2012 – held after a flawed investigation by the police watchdog had exonerated the officers – the jury found that police actions had contributed to Mr Rigg’s death following his detention.

Prosecutors have ruled out bringing any further criminal charges against the officers after Mr White was cleared in 2016 of one count of perjury over his inquest evidence.

The hearing will resume tomorrow and is expected to continue for six weeks.