The death of a man during yesterday’s protests at the Bank of England is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The matter was referred to them by both the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police service.

The victim, wearing a T-shirt over a football top, was found by a member of the public unconscious near to St Michael’s Alley off Cornhill near the Bank of England just before 7.30pm yesterday.

Police were called over and the officers, wearing helmets and protective clothing, formed a barrier around the man as police medics tried to resuscitate him.

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Police watchdog to investigate G20 death

The Independent Police Complaints Commission are to examine circumstances of man's death at G20 protests in City

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The Met said that as the officers tried to revive the man they came under attack from protesters who threw bottles at them.

Witnesses said that the incident happened on the outside of the police cordon, in which officers were holding the main body of demonstrators.

Fran Legg, 20, a politics student studying at Queen Mary, University of London, said: “I heard people shouting that there was a man down on the ground and I saw there was someone lying on the pavement on his back.”

She said that her friend went to help him while she stayed a few metres farther back.

The student, from Tavistock in Devon, said: “People were calling out: ’Please, we need medics over here’.

“Someone called an ambulance.”

She said that her friend put the man in the recovery position. He had blood on his face and was losing consciousness.

About eight riot police arrived with police medics and stood around the man. Ms Legg said that protesters were calling for people to move back and give the man space and she said that the majority co-operated.

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