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However, Brunstrom also confirmed that the families of the dead men were not aware the images were being used in the presentation. The identities of the victims were not given however the details of a distinctive T-shirt worn by the motorcyclist was shown with the slogan: “Piss off and catch some real criminals”.

Can't help but think what a sick, stupid, small minded little man. He really should not be in a position of any power if he can do this.

It's perverse and I agree he should resign

I take your point about definition of death, but I would say it is more likely he lost conciousness immediately, and did not watch the world going round as his head spun through the air. However, this is the impression the chief superintendent undoubtedly wanted to convey to make his point more graphically. SICK!

It gets worse.

The Biker was photographed at 10am at 125mph by an Arrive Alive van. He died at 4pm - 6 hours later. NWP did nothing to prevent his death.

Arrive Alive.

I am dismayed that a meeting, held to explain our vision to further reduce the carnage on our roads here in North Wales, building on our outstanding success to date, has been deliberately distorted and misrepresented by a small section of the media for their own purposes.

Journalists regularly ask us for guidance so that they can report fairly and accurately sensitive matters in context. The meeting held yesterday was a closed one, to an invited audience of journalists and road safety professionals, all of whom had been warned in advance that they would be briefly exposed to harrowing images, in order that the media could better understand the full context of the Arrive Alive project. The invitations made it very clear, in writing, that these images were not, are not and will not be released into the public domain - a point emphasised verbally during the meeting. They were included as a minor part of the presentation to counter the continuing tendency in some sections of our society to trivialise road death.

The bulk of the meeting was firstly about the fact that there are dozens of people alive today and hundreds more uninjured because of our actions in tackling unnecessary road death, and secondly, an exciting discussion about our plans to save even more lives in the future.

A fundamental plank of our past and future plans is compassion, for the victims of road death and their families. Police officers and others in the emergency services care so deeply about the reduction of road death precisely because we are daily called to face scenes such as those shown briefly, and in confidence, to this invited audience, in closed session.

I am heartened that the vast majority of those journalists present chose to honour this confidence. In the same breath, however, I repeat my dismay that at least one person present did not, and may thereby have avoidably and unnecessarily added to the grief of relatives.

I am dismayed that a meeting, held to explain our vision to further reduce the carnage on our roads here in North Wales, building on our outstanding success to date, has been deliberately distorted and misrepresented by a small section of the media for their own purposes.

Outstanding Success? In what? Failing to reduce road deaths?

He's dismayed at being caught out for being a buffooon. And made up this piffle after the event.

If you'd like to get in contact with Brunstrom.

Brunstrom's Blog

Row over decapitated biker photo

Mr Brunstrom has been 'disrepectful' says one MP

A row has erupted after pictures of a decapitated motorcyclist were shown at an anti-speeding media briefing given by North Wales Police.

Chief constable Richard Brunstrom showed images of a 40-year-old man, who died in 2003, without seeking the permission of his family on Merseyside.

Local MP Bob Wareing has called for Mr Brunstrom to be reprimanded.

Mr Brunstrom in his weblog said those attending had been warned they would be "briefly exposed to harrowing images".

North Wales Police admitted they did not seek permission but would not comment on the case.

The photographs of 40-year-old Mark Gibney were shown at a private anti-speeding briefing for the media on Thursday.

One image showed Mr Gibney's head in his helmet, his eyes open, on a grass verge.

Mr Wareing, who is Labour MP for the West Derby area of Liverpool, said he was very concerned, and had contacted the Home Secretary John Reid about the matter:

"It's totally deplorable," he told BBC Five Live.

This is unnacceptable behaviour from a senior public servant - Martyn Jones, Clwyd South MP

"The idea that a chief constable can display images of a dead person without first consulting the family is completely unethical.

"I heard about it only last night actually, and I was horrified. I can't imagine, you know, what went through the chief constable's head."

North Wales Police said they would not be confirming the name of the decapitated motorcyclist or making any comment on the case.

Mr Brunstrom, writing in his weblog on the force website, accused a small section of the media of "distortion".

He wrote: "The meeting was a closed one, to an invited audience of journalists and road safety professionals, all of whom had been warned in advance that they would be briefly exposed to harrowing images, in order that the media could better understand the full context of the Arrive Alive project.

"The invitations made it very clear, in writing, that these images were not, are not and will not be released into the public domain - a point emphasised verbally during the meeting.

"They were included as a minor part of the presentation to counter the continuing tendency in some sections of our society to trivialise road death."

He said compassion was a "fundemental plank" of police plans and those involved cared "deeply" about reducing road deaths "precisely because we are daily called to face scenes such as those shown briefly, and in confidence, to this invited audience".

Mr Brunstrom is no stranger to controversy, particularly over his approach to road safety. In 2004 he admitted he had an obsession with tackling speeding motorists.

The motorcyclist was not named during his presentation but details of his distinctive T-shirt, which bore an anti-police message, were given.

The T-shirt received widespread publicity during his inquest, and effectively identified him to journalists.

His partner Eileen Burke told the Liverpool Echo: "We should have been asked. We are trying to put this behind us. His death should not be dragged up again."

Martyn Jones, MP for Clwyd South, called for Mr Brunstrom to consider his position, adding: "To use these images in this manner, was a contentious decision in itself.

To use them in a public forum without consent of the family was "cruel and disrepectful as it has re-opened the family grief, in horrific detail.

"This is unacceptable behaviour from a senior public servant."

"I believe that the chief constable should seriously consider his position over the weekend."

A former North Wales deputy chief constable, Bill Brereton, said the decision was "ill advised and ill considered".

So nothing to do with speeding at all then