Injured G20 photographer receives £30,000 payout from Met police

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Social issues photographer David Hoffman has received a £30,000 payout from the Metropolitan Police following claims he was injured by an officer during the G20 summit.

Hoffman was photographing the protests in April last year when he claimed to have been hit in the face by a MPS officer's riot shield. The incident was caught on camera and video footage can be seen in this report .

Hoffman claimed the incident fractured his teeth, five of which he lost, and caused damage to his camera equipment. He told Journalism.co.uk today that the payout is a "hollow victory".

"By paying me off (I have to accept this - I have no choice) they prevent the police who set up and carried out the attack being charged for a criminal offence," he said.

But without the amateur video footage showing the incident it would have gone completely "unchallenged", he added.

"The size of the award indicates just how strongly the Met were determined to avoid having the facts examined publicly in a court of law.

"Assaults such as this stem from a small proportion of rogue officers within the Met who let down their colleagues by their vindictive and spiteful behaviour."

In a statement given to Journalism.co.uk, the Scotland Yard press office said there was no admission of liability by the Metropolitan Police Service.

"We can confirm that the Metropolitan Police Service has reached a settlement and offered a full apology to Mr David Hoffman.

"There was no admission of liability by the Metropolitan Police Service."

Chez Cotton, head of the Police Misconduct Department at civil rights law firm Bindmans LLP acted on Hoffman's behalf. In a statement on the solicitor's website she said the case was "shocking".

"Journalists such as my client are critical in disseminating information into the wider public domain.

"Reporters and photojournalists play a significant role recording political unrest, political events, which includes recording protest and, if it arises, police wrong doing.

"That my client was assaulted by a police officer when carrying out this essential function, and brutally so, is shocking."