Police suspended over the controversial death in custody of Michael Powell should be reinstated immediately, their union chiefs urged today. The leader of the city's rank-and-file bobbies said it was "disgraceful" the independent police probe into the case had dragged on for so long. Police Federation chairman Paul Tonks comments came after the Crown Prosecution Service asked for another three month adjournment in the case of two suspended officers charged in connection with last September's incident. Meanwhile the four other officers are yet to learn whether they will face any action over the tragedy. The cost to the taxpayer of their suspension is now running at £140,000 in lost wages alone, as well as mounting legal bills. Mr Tonks said: "It is my view that the four officers' suspensions should be lifted and I will be seeking that from the force. "There is no reason why they can't all be reinstated." Father-of-three Mr Powell, aged 38, died on September 7, 2003, after he was arrested for causing a disturbance outside his house, in Wilton Street, Lozells. PCs Timothy Lewis and David Hadley have been charged with common assault. They were not at Birmingham Magistrates Court yesterday for the short administrative hearing for the further adjournment. Four other officers, including one inspector, a sergeant and two other constables, were also suspended on full pay in January. Lawyers handling the case failed to reach a decision on whether further charges should be put to any of the officers when they met last Monday. Mr Tonks said: "It is about time the CPS considered firstly the effects on the officers and their families, it is now 15 months since the incident took place. "It comes to a point when the CPS, in the best interests of everyone, needs to make a decision. Are they so incapable that it takes more than 12 monthstodecidewhether these officers should face charges?" Mr Tonks raised the matter with West Midlands Chief Constable Paul Scott-Lee during a meeting with him yesterday. A year on from the incident, it is still unclear how Mr Powell died. Birmingham Coroner Aiden Cotter has already slammed delays into the investigation, saying it was unacceptable that Mr Powell's family still did not know how he died. "The public need to know what the truth of the matter is," he said when the inquest in Mr Powell's death was re-opened and adjourned in the city earlier this month. A CPS spokeswoman said: "The case is still under consideration and the investigation is ongoing. It is a complex case and it is going to take time for all of the issues to be looked at." | 
