Research published by the Prison Reform Trust on 12 June 2008, shows that people with learning difficulties are being let down by the police.

Police safeguards for dealing with suspects with learning disabilities were "patchy and inconsistent" and increase the likelihood of miscarriages of justice.

You can download a copy of the report here

The case of Jamie Bauld to highlight the points made in the report.

The 18-year-old, from North Lanarkshire, Scotland, was charged with a racist assault despite having Down's Syndrome and the mental age of a five-year-old.

He was accused of attacking an Asian pupil at his special needs school last September.

The case was eventually dropped in April this year, more than seven months later.

On 12 June 2008, Prison Reform Trust published a report, backed by Labour's first Prisons Minister Baroness Joyce Quin, which details the improvements it says need to be made in the justice system.

Entitled No One Knows, it found evidence of poor presentation and follow- through of suspects' rights to legal advice.

It also criticised police custody officers' reliance on the advice of medical professionals when deciding if a suspect requires an appropriate adult.

Appropriate adults accompany suspects who have learning difficulties, or who are under-age, into custody and explain the meaning of legal terms, offer comfort and support, give advice, contact relatives and also ensure the suspect is aware of their rights.

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said:

"There is nothing fair about a system where things are not explained or understood and vulnerable people are not represented or protected.

"A single high-profile miscarriage of justice catches the headlines but literally thousands of people with learning disabilities are ill-served by a system that is blind to their needs."

The report was also welcomed by the outgoing chairman of the Police Federation, Jan Berry, who said:

"The need to identify and support people with learning disabilities through the criminal justice system, and the process by which some can be diverted more appropriately into healthcare settings, are concerns that have been neglected for too long."

This week Jamie Bauld's father confirmed he would be seeking damages from Strathclyde Police for stress and psychological damage his family suffered as a result of the police's actions.

Strathclyde Police said its officers approached the situation sensitively and the force had offered the family relevant support.