COMPLAINTS against Gwent Police more than halved in the first quarter of this financial year.

There were 94 complaints recorded between April and June, which fell from 231 in the final three months of the 2010/11 financial year, a drop of just under 60 per cent.

Of these 94 complaints, seven were upheld and 12 were withdrawn.

The report says the latest figure for complaints in June stands at 15, which is well below the monthly average of 34.8.

Neglect of duty was the area which drew most complaints from the public, 31, which includes people unhappy with their treatment by police or the service they provided.

Other complaints included assault, oppressive conduct, discriminatory behaviour and a lack of fairness and impartiality.

In a bid to address the issue of neglect of duty complaints, the professional standards department is issuing departmental bulletins, giving staff details and information about changes in legislation as well as force policies and procedures.

In the three months between January and March, 18 of the 231 complaints were upheld and 22 were withdrawn.

The matter will be discussed at a meeting of Gwent Police Authority's professional standards committee tomorrow.