The news of a complete overhaul of the police complaints system, revealed in The Independent today, is welcome. The overhaul was essential not because most police do their job badly (they don't) but because there has until now been a disturbing lack of trust in the system That lack of trust finally needs to be banished. The news of a complete overhaul of the police complaints system, revealed in The Independent today, is welcome. The overhaul was essential not because most police do their job badly (they don't) but because there has until now been a disturbing lack of trust in the system.

That lack of trust finally needs to be banished. Mr Hague's absurd complaints this week about damaged morale in the police force, because of the trenchant criticisms contained in the Macpherson report, served as a reminder that, far too often, the Conservative leader believes that real problems are best ignored It was a classic case of attempting to shoot the messenger. (The shot misfired, which merely made it more ridiculous.) We must hope that Mr Hague and his colleagues will not prove equally foolish with regard to the new complaints system. The reality is that the Police Complaints Authority has until now often been woefully inadequate.Yesterday, the authority made what it described as a "ground-breaking announcement" that it will from now on inform families of those who have died in incidents involving the police about investigations into the deaths. Sir Alastair Graham, the authority's chairman, said that the agreement meant that this change brought a fair and open complaints system "much nearer".Yesterday's news was only ground-breaking because the land has lain fallow for so long. It should never have taken so long for this basic change to be introduced. The story of Harry Stanley, shot dead by police because he was (mis)heard by a man in a pub to have an Irish accent and because he was carrying a wrapped-up table leg (perceived as a lethal weapon), is particularly revealing The circumstances of Stanley's death were bad enough.

But the casual rudeness suffered by his family after Stanley's death, and the refusal to provide them with basic information, was worse still. Yesterday's announcement merely moves the goalposts, belatedly, by a few inches.The proposed shake-up, which we report on today, goes much further, however, in bringing order to the existing dismal chaos. The most serious investigations - for example after deaths in custody or fatal shootings - will be carried out by civilians, instead of cosy in-house inquiries, as has been the case hitherto.In the police force - just as among doctors, lawyers and others in a position to abuse their authority - the danger that colleagues will be eager not to rock the boat by finding fault is far too high. With the new system, it may be hoped that the victim's natural disadvantage will be reduced or even eliminated. In addition, the introduction of an ombudsman scheme is an important step towards transparency.More trivial accusations against the police will be investigated internally Clearly, the danger of brush-off is real.

Here, too, however, the possibility of an appeal to the ombudsman will provide a healthy constraint on any attempt to dismiss a justified complaint. In Canada, where a similar system already operates, only one in 10 complaints is referred to the ombudsman.Theoretically, this latest change, too, might "lower police morale" by placing the police under scrutiny In reality, none will be losers. Complainants will have more confidence that they can expect to be taken seriously; the police will know that they enjoy more trust than before. Mr Hague, who seems worried about an excess of honesty, may fail to understand this basic point. It is to be hoped the police themselves will show more understanding than he has done.. We talk about the weather at the drop of a hat, but for once we are justified: it has been a remarkable autumn. More than that, an extreme one: the wettest ever, with heavier rainfall than any since records began in the 18th century.

December, moreover, is likely to be one of the warmest on record, with strange consequences in the natural world, as we report today. Although neither of these facts can be directly linked to global warming, they do fit the predictions that scientists have been making about climate change, so now is perhaps a good time to think again about the options available to tackle this most pressing of worldwide problems. We talk about the weather at the drop of a hat, but for once we are justified: it has been a remarkable autumn. More than that, an extreme one: the wettest ever, with heavier rainfall than any since records began in the 18th century. December, moreover, is likely to be one of the warmest on record, with strange consequences in the natural world, as we report today.