The officers were under various investigative proceedings for 11 years.

Three Federation members have won damages following “unreasonable and unconscionable” delays with an IPCC investigation, the complaints body that was replaced by the IOPC.

In total, the officers were under various investigative proceedings for 11 years and a disciplinary hearing saw all complaints dismissed by the panel.

The Police Federation, alongside solicitors from Penningtons Manches Cooper, pursued a claim for damages for misfeasance in public office under the Human Rights Act.

All parties agreed to participate in mediation – resulting in a damages settlement of £65,000, payment of the Police Federation’s legal costs and letter of apology from the IOPC.

The Police Federation said: “In what was a remarkable investigation for the fact it was conducted by the IOPC over 11 years, the impact suffered by our members was felt across all areas of their lives.

“Their careers suffered as this investigation loomed large over all their work, affecting professional development, confidence, reputation and other losses.”

Police Oracle understands that of the three, some are still serving.

An IOPC spokesperson said: “This settlement was agreed following a mediation exercise in December 2022 and we have apologised to and compensated three Metropolitan Police Service officers on behalf of our predecessor, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

"We accept the officers were under investigation by the IPCC for far too long but we did not accept that any individuals were responsible for the delay. From the outset, we strongly rejected any allegation of misfeasance in a public office and the claim was settled on the basis of the delay alone. It is misleading for the Police Federation to suggest otherwise. The Police Federation’s claim that the investigation was 11 years long is also untrue as this period included an inquest, a second IPCC investigation, subsequent CPS charging considerations and disciplinary proceedings. The Police Federation’s misrepresentation of this mediation process serves no-one, least of all the family of the man who died.

“Since we became the IOPC in 2018, we have significantly reduced the time we take to finish investigations, with around 90 percent of our core investigations currently completed within 12 months and more than a third of these finished within six months. We would complete an investigation of this nature much more quickly today.”