West Midlands police

While there are serious allegations of dereliction by this police force:

... it's not as if the West Midlands does not have form ... they have a long history ... this was from a ggl AI search:

The primary "scandal" involving the West Midlands Police in the 1970s was the extensive misconduct of its Serious Crime Squad (SCS), which led to numerous wrongful convictions, most notably that of the Birmingham Six.

West Midlands Serious Crime Squad Misconduct 

The West Midlands Serious Crime Squad was formed in 1974. While initially perceived as an effective, elite unit, it developed an insular culture and engaged in systemic malpractice to secure convictions, particularly in high-profile cases. 

Key aspects of the misconduct included:

• Fabrication of Evidence and Confessions: Officers were found to have fabricated or tampered with witness statements and confession notes. Forensic evidence (Electrostatic Detection Apparatus, or ESDA) later showed that suspects often signed blank pages onto which incriminating statements were later written.
• Physical Abuse and Torture: Allegations were made that officers used violence and "plastic bagging" (partially suffocating suspects with plastic bags) to extract confessions.
• Denial of Legal Access: Suspects were routinely denied access to solicitors until a confession was obtained.
• Mishandling of Informants: The squad relied heavily on unreliable "supergrass" informants and was alleged to have abused payments to them.
• Management Failures: The squad suffered from poor management, a lack of oversight, and a culture that encouraged shortcuts to achieve high performance, which senior management was aware of but failed to adequately address. 

Notable Wrongful Convictions

The most famous case linked to the squad in the 1970s was the Birmingham pub bombings of 1974. The six men convicted (the Birmingham Six) maintained their innocence and alleged police brutality and fabricated evidence. Their convictions were eventually overturned in 1991, years after the SCS was disbanded. 

Another major case was that of the Bridgewater Four, convicted in 1978 for a murder during a payroll robbery. Their convictions were also later overturned, in 1997, due to police corruption, including a forged confession. 

Aftermath

The SCS was eventually disbanded in 1989 by Chief Constable Geoffrey Dear after growing allegations and an independent report that detailed systemic abuses. An investigation by West Yorkshire Police led to internal disciplinary actions against a small number of officers, but none faced criminal prosecution for their actions within the squad, a decision that attracted widespread criticism. Over 60 convictions involving the SCS have since been quashed on appeal.

......

Interesting that West Yorks escapes but Brummieland doesn't

... that's one for further exploration

... look for "common purpose", "fabian communism"

... Tavistock and Chatham House for starters.