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A woman who was strip searched by male officers and left naked in a police cell has received £37,000 in damages from Scotland Yard.

After she was arrested outside a club in west London five officers - four of them men - removed every item of her clothing while a camera broadcast her ordeal at Chelsea police station.

One officer was later overheard asking the custody sergeant "are we stripping this one?" which was confirmed.

The woman was having lunch at the Supper Club in Notting Hill in March 2011 when she suddenly fell ill - and suspected her drink had been spiked.

The unnamed woman, who was only 22 at the time, said she remembered having one drink at the bar and another at her table before collapsing in the toilets.

Her friends took her outside where she became distressed and confused and was seen running around on the street as an ambulance and the police arrived.

(Image: Google)

The woman, who worked in PR, said: "My drink had been spiked and the police should have helped me. Instead I remember being in a cell with strange men putting their hands on me and taking my clothes off.

"I believed I was being raped and remember screaming in fear."

An investigation revealed she was held down in the cell by four male police officers and a female officer with every item of her clothing forcibly removed - including her bra that was cut from the front of her body.

She was then left naked in the cell for half-an-hour with the CCTV camera broadcasting the images back to the custody desk.

This was all in breach of police rules stating strip searches should only be carried out by members of the same sex and should not take place in a CCTV cell.

Detainees should also only be required to remove half their clothing at any one time and be allowed to dress as soon as the search is completed.

When she later woke in a hospital bed she had no memory of what had happened and could not understand why her clothes and underwear were off.

Now 26, the woman believes the officers had treated her in this way because she was black.

On coming round she said a police officer at her bedside commented she was very well spoken and asked where she was born.

When she replied "Hampstead" the officer radioed a colleague and was overheard saying: "I think we made a mistake."

There was no record the strip search had happened at all - nor any justification recorded.

The woman complained to police but was not satisfied by the Met's response.

She then took her complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which two years ago recommended in a report that the custody sergeant face a gross misconduct hearing and five constables faced misconduct charges.

But the Met did not issue gross misconduct proceedings against the custody sergeant, instead making her face proceedings for the less serious disciplinary charge of misconduct.

The IPCC said the custody sergeant had failed to make any record of the strip-search or to ensure it was carried out in accordance with codes in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (Pace).

The woman's solicitors brought a claim against the police for assault, breach of human rights and misfeasance in public office.

Four years after the incident - and two years after the IPCC found the police had breached Pace - the Met has agreed to settle with the woman and paid her £37,000 in damages.

They have not issued an apology.

Following the IPCC report two of the officers were issued with formal written warnings and three faced management action.

The custody sergeant was simply told she should familiarise herself with the rules which relate to procedure - and should ensure she seeks support from her line manager until she is confident she can perform the role to the required standard.

Claire Hilder, from Hodge Jones and Allen, which represented the woman, said: "My client was subjected to a humiliating ordeal at a time when she was clearly vulnerable and in need of medical attention.

"The officers involved acted in clear breach of professional regulations, taking an unjustified, callous and cavalier approach to the strip-search.

"This incident has caused her significant and lasting distress.

"These violations were totally unjustified and whilst we welcome this settlement my client has as yet received no apology.

"She has been failed at every stage of her interaction with the Metropolitan Police Service.

"Misconduct proceedings have been prolonged and my client has not been kept properly updated on their progress or outcomes.

"This case is another example of the importance of the Human Rights Act in holding the police to account."

The woman, who now works abroad, said: "It has taken four years for the Metropolitan police to give me any acknowledgement that the way I was treated was unacceptable.

"I hope I can now put this behind me and get on with my life."

The Met said in a statement: "The MPS settled a civil claim on Tuesday 28 April.

"The claim arose from an arrest in March 2011.

"Officers arrested a woman for a public order offence.

"She was charged and bailed to court for four counts of assault on a constable.

"The matter was discontinued due to insufficient evidence.

"We do not disclose settlement amounts."