The figures, released by the IOPC this week, show more than 100,000 complaints were made against police in England and Wales last year

Complaints against West Mercia Police have risen, new figures released by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) reveal.

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The figures show there were more than 100,000 complaints were made against police forces in England and Wales last year, up on the previous year.

West Mercia Police saw the number of complaints logged against the force rise by 300, from 1,922 complaint cases in 2024/25 to 2,222 in 2025/26.

The figures, released this week, show that the most complained-about issue for the force was its delivery of duties and service (1,390), followed by police powers, policies and procedures (558).

There were 228 complaints against individual behaviours at the force, and three complaints about sexual conduct.

Across England and Wales the IOPC said there were a total of 108,897 complaints logged by the 43 police forces between April 2025 and March 2026.

It represents a 15 per cent increase on the number recorded in 2024-25 and the most on record since the IOPC began collating and analysing complaints data.

But IOPC director of oversight and casework, David Ford, said the figures do not necessarily point to rise in people’s dissatisfaction with policing.

He said: “A 15 per cent annual increase is the biggest we’ve seen year-on-year. Looking back on the last five years, we’ve seen a 61 per cent increase in complaints since 2020-21.

“However, it’s important not to jump to a conclusion that these figures solely equate to increased dissatisfaction in policing.

“We know through our oversight work with police forces that many are now better at recording and handling complaints. That in part explains the increase. It’s also simpler than ever before to register a complaint, especially with the assistance of AI which is making the complaints system more accessible for those who may have previously found it challenging to raise their concerns.

“We’re helping police forces identify ways to improve their complaints handling process. We have seen various police forces adopt a range of changes, such as centralising the receipt of complaints they receive. This is resulting in more matters being formally recorded and reported to us through their submissions.

“In some instances, there has been under-reporting in the past, with the identification and recording of complaints. However, some forces have gone the other way now and are formally recording some matters as complaints when perhaps it’s not necessary. We continue to work with all forces to support them in this area.

“An increase in complaints hasn’t been limited to the police complaints system; other non-policing organisations are reporting a rise in complaints with common themes including the availability of AI and complaints systems becoming easier to navigate.”

West Mercia Police head of professional standards Superintendent Mel Paley said: "We are committed to delivering the highest standards of service to the communities we serve and recognise the importance of having a clear and accessible complaints process when people feel we have fallen short of those standards.

“It is positive that members of the public have the confidence to come forward and raise concerns, knowing that those concerns will be listened to, reviewed and, where appropriate, acted upon.

“Openness and accountability are fundamental to building public trust, and the complaints process plays an important role in helping us understand people's experiences of our service.

“Complaints provide valuable feedback and help us identify opportunities to learn, improve, and strengthen the service we deliver.

“We carefully review concerns raised by the public and use the learning identified to support continuous improvement across the organisation, ensuring we provide the best possible service to our communities."