GWENT Police has released a statement following the death of Moyied Bashir last week.

Mr Bashir, who was 29, died on February 17, after police were called to a property in Maesglas Crescent, Newport.

Gwent Police say Moyied appeared to be having a "medical episode" and was taken to Cwmbran's Grange University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The day after his death, his brother Mohamed led a peaceful protest from Fanny's Cafe on Alexandra Road to Gwent Police station on Cardiff Road. Hundreds of people were involved.

Gwent Police's statement, on behalf of chief superintendent Tom Harding, says: "Everyone at Gwent Police takes any loss of life extremely seriously and I wish to offer the family and friends of Moyied Bashir, who died this week, our sincere condolences.

"This is a tragic death. We have been and will continue to co-operate fully with the investigation which the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is carrying out.

"The IOPC was contacted promptly after Moyied Bashir’s death and they quickly began their own independent investigation.

"The IOPC investigators are professionals, who are not the police or government.

"It is right that when anyone dies following contact with the police that it is investigated fully and that there is a thorough and transparent process to establish the facts.

"We are only able to police our communities with their ongoing help and support and it is vital that we do all we can to maintain their confidence."

Following Mr Bashir's death a petition, signed by almost 4,000 people was launched calling for the release of police bodycam and CCTV footage relating to the incident.

Gwent Police say the footage has been handed over as part of the IOPC investigation, and is no longer theirs to release.

READ MORE:

The statement continued: "To confirm on Wednesday, February 17, we attended a property in Maesglas following a 999-emergency call. An ambulance was called, and Mr Bashir was subsequently transferred to hospital, where he sadly died.

"Nine officers had responded to the incident prior to the ambulance arriving, and as a result took part in post-incident procedures which is in keeping with standard practice in such cases. This process was overseen by the IOPC.

"All uniformed officers in Gwent Police carry body worn videos and the footage from this incident has been handed over in full to the IOPC and will form part of their investigation.

"There have been, understandably, calls from the community for us to release this footage publicly, however this footage is now owned by the IOPC and as such it is not Gwent Police’s to release.

"I understand that there is a high level of concern within our community, and we appreciate their patience in allowing the IOPC to conduct their investigation and I am confident that they understand the community’s concerns and will report their findings as soon as they are able.

"We will continue to co-operate fully with their investigation."