'In a crowded room, a family member is missing; at a table laid ready for dinner, a family member is missing; the phone rings and I think it is him. He was young, vibrant, outgoing and I loved him. You don't know his smile, but it could be your brother, sister, mother.' The pain of bereavement is spelled out by Brenda Weinberg. And she shows her particular pain of loss is one shared by families and friends of those who die in custody when she explains: 'We bury our dead in body bags, with body parts missing. We can't clothe our dead because the coffins are sealed. Each and every one of us buries a part of us as we bury our loved ones. And then the bitter part of us that is left carries on the fight for truth and justice to find out how our loved one has died.

Brenda Weinberg is chair of United Families and Friends Campaign, a coalition of families and friends of those who have died in the custody of police and prison officers as well as those who are killed in secure psychiatric hospitals. She was talking this week at St James's Church, Piccadilly, London about the death of her brother, Brian Douglas, who died in police custody in May 1995. By holding vigils and services, over a number of years, Churches Together has supported families through the Churches' Commission on Racial Justice.

Over the last thirty five years, more than two thousand people have died in custody of police and prison officers and in secure psychiatric hospitals. This week Anglican Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Tom Butler met some of the families to highlight their campaign to end deaths in custody. A quarter of a million leaflets have been printed to try and reach all faith communities.

The leaflets carry a clear message:

'For truth, justice and humanity, we, together with the Churches' Commission for Racial Justice, urge you to join in our demands that the police, prison service and secure psychiatric units ensure that basic human rights are upheld for those in their care. The justice system must ensure that when deaths do occur those responsible are prosecuted.'

Bishop Tom Butler, who frequently visits those held in solitary isolation in prison, said: 'I'm here to listen to the families. We can all be shocked by statistics but when they become real through a person, you feel the pain. The general public is usually only too willing to ignore the difficulties of life in custody. A death in custody is a tragic example of what can happen when lives are not adequately protected.'

Patricia Coker said: 'Paul was our beloved son. He died face down on a cell floor. He was the centre of our family. His smile lit up a room. I thank God for his life. Paul was allowed to die, by the state. I believe one hundred percent that his life could have been saved. God's law is above every government law. I'm so happy to hear that the Churches are taking on this joint campaign with UFFC.'

The United Families and Friends Campaign demands:

• Deaths in police custody must be investigated by a body that is genuinely independent of the police.
• Prison deaths must be subject to a system of properly funded investigation that is completely independent of the Prison Service.
• Officers involved in custody deaths be suspended until investigations are completed.
• Prosecutions should automatically follow 'unlawful killing' verdicts at inquests.
• Police forces be made accountable to the communities that they serve.
• Legal Aid and full disclosure of information be made to the relatives of the victims.
• Officers responsible for deaths should face criminal charges, even if retired.

The Revd Arlington Trotman, Churches' Commission on Racial Justice, said: 'People need to know that this happens in Britain. There is a need for transparency in the criminal justice system.'

For further information:
Anne van Staveren Communications Officer, CTBI 020 7654 7220 or 07939 139 881
Ken Fero United Families and Friends Campaign 07770 432 439

Notes to Editors

The United Families and Friends Campaign is a coalition of families and friends of those who have died in the custody of police and prison officers as well as those who are killed in secure psychiatric hospitals. It includes the families of Roger Sylvester, Leon Patterson, Rocky Bennett, Alton Manning, Christopher Alder, Brian Douglas, Joy Gardner, Aseta Simms, Paul Jemmott, Harry Stanley and Glenn Howard, to name but a few. Together the families and friends are building a network for collective action to end deaths in custody. See www.uffc.org

The Churches' Commission for Racial Justice (CCRJ) is a Commission of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.  It includes representatives from the Churches and related organizations.  It monitors trends and developments in the field of racial justice in Britain and Ireland and Europe and seeks to co-ordinate the Churches' response on key issues. See www.ctbi.org.uk

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland is the umbrella body for all the major Christian Churches in Britain and Ireland and brings together Roman Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Reformed, and Pentecostal traditions.

Please visit www.ctbi.org.uk for information about our activities and available resources.