Nine people warned by Cleveland Police that their lives were under threat

Nine people were warned by police their lives were under threat last year.

Cleveland Police issued the so-called “Osman” warnings to advise them they were at a risk of being killed or seriously harmed by someone who they believed could make good their threat.

The number has dropped significantly since 2010 when there were 53 red alerts issued by the force. In 2011 there were 26, then 21 in 2012 and eight in 2013.

Last year’s warnings included three given in April and four in August.

The force, which released the figures to the Gazette following a Freedom of Information request, said they were not aware of anyone being killed within Cleveland following the issue of an Osman warning.

Guidance given to forces by the Association of Chief Police Officers says if police have credible information about a threat to somebody’s life, forces had an obligation” to take “preventive operational measures”.

Head of crime at Cleveland Police, Detective Superintendent Peter McPhillips said: “We would get the threat, assess it and decide whether we need to issue an Osman warning.

“The threat could come from anywhere, social media, an anonymous phone call or information from a witness.

“If it was decided the threat was real then we would physically visit that person and over them a series of measures called target hardening.

“That might putting a flag on the system so if there is any report on that address it will flag up quickly

“We might also encourage them to live elsewhere.”

The alerts came into force after a legal ruling that police have a “duty of care” to warn people they are in danger - even if they are known criminals.

That followed the high profile failure to protect Ahmet Osman, a pupil shot and wounded in 1988 by disturbed teacher, Paul Paget-Lewis. Ahmet’s father and two others were killed in the attack.

Paget-Lewis - convicted of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility - told police: “Why didn’t you stop me before I did it? I gave you all the warning signs.”

It was then that police, who had to pay £20,000 compensation to the Osman family, began issuing the warnings.