IPCC will not investigate Maynard death

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has confirmed that it has handed responsibility for investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Tom Maynard back to the Metropolitan police.

The matter had been passed on to the IPCC has a matter of course, after Maynard was found dead on tube tracks near Wimbledon Park station on Monday, having been pulled over by police while driving in the early hours of the morning. Maynard, the 23-year-old Surrey batsman, subsequently abandoned his car and fled the scene.

However, the police regulator will not investigate the case further, as Maynard eluded the chasing officers before his body was discovered almost an hour later.

"The IPCC has assessed the referral from the Metropolitan Police Service regarding the death of a 23-year-old man," an IPCC statement said. "The police evidence is that at 4.13am officers saw a car being driven erratically which they followed.

"The driver then decamped and after a short chase on foot, officers lost sight of him and had no further contact. The man appears to have been hit by a train at 5.04am. In the circumstances the IPCC has referred this matter back to the MPS. British Transport Police will prepare a file for the coroner."

Maynard's death was marked by a minute's silence at The Oval, his home ground, before the start of the second ODI between England and West Indies. Tom, the son of former England and Glamorgan batsman Matthew Maynard, has been the subject of tributes and messages from former players and members of the cricketing community and his family issued a statement on Tuesday, expressing their thanks and asking for privacy.

The statement, issued through the British Transport Police (BTP), said: "The Maynard family would like to thank everyone for the many messages of support following Tom's tragic death in London yesterday morning.

"As you can appreciate, the news has come as a devastating blow and although the family is grateful for all the kind messages of sympathy, we would ask that we can be left to grieve in private at this very difficult and sad time for us."