Scotland Yard is to carry out a review of public order policing tactics after a man died and a woman was struck with a baton at the G20 protests.

Sir Paul Stephenson has called in Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Denis O'Connor, to conduct a wholesale review of the way demonstrations are policed, after amateur video showed police officers apparently behaving aggressively.

The Met Police Commissioner said that some the footage of the behaviour of his officers in the City of London was "very disturbing".

He has particularly asked Mr O'Connor to look at the use of the "kettle" technique for containing demonstrations, where large numbers of protesters and passers-by are penned in for hours by a shrinking cordon of police. The tactic provokes frustration and anger.

Sir Paul added that the Met would also carry out its own internal review of hundreds of hours of police footage recorded during clashes during the G20 protests, to identify if there are any further incidents that "warrant investigation".

Two officers from the Met's Territorial Support Group, which specialises in public order situations, have been suspended after video material showed one officer hitting Ian Tomlinson, a 47-year-old newspaper salesman who died minutes later of a heart attack, and another striking Nicky Thompson, a woman protester in her thirties, during a vigil for Mr Tomlinson the next day.

Sir Paul said: "G20 was a complex policing operation managing the movement and protection of many heads of state across the capital while balancing the right to lawful protest and maintaining public order for many thousands of people.

"It is also the case that a number of complaints have been raised in relation to the tactic of containment and as to whether this achieves that balance. I want to be reassured that the use of this tactic remains appropriate and proportionate.

"Separately, I have already expressed my concern that the video footage of some police actions are clearly disturbing and should be thoroughly investigated. As well as the post-event investigation into those responsible for violence and disorder, I have also ensured that footage in police possession is reviewed to identify any other matters of individual police conduct that may warrant investigation."

The Commissioner added that he was concerned that some of his officers appeared to have covered their numbers during the protests. He said: "Uniformed police officers should be identifiable at all times by their shoulder identification numbers. The public has a right to be able to identify any uniformed officer whilst performing their duty. We must ensure this is always the case."

Ms Thompson was in a crowd of more than 100 people attending a vigil for Mr Tomlinson outside the Bank of England who were encircled by police for several hours on April 2.

The video which emerged this week on YouTube shows her shouting at police before an officer wearing body armour hits her face with the back of his hand.

She shouts: "I am a woman," and the officer replies: "Go away." He draws an extendable baton and appears to strike her behind the thigh, provoking roars of abuse from other protesters.

Labour and Opposition politicians today condemned the incident. Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the video raised "enormous concern".

"Even if you accept it is taken out of context it is not acceptable behaviour – based on what the person has seen and what the person viewing the footage has seen the officer do," Mr Vaz told Sky News.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said that he fully supported Sir Paul's decision to call in the Inspectorate.

Kit Malthouse, the vice-chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, praised Sir Paul's "swift and decisive action" in requesting an independent review.

"It is vital that the police retain the trust of Londoners and a thorough review by the HMIC will be crucial to help inform conclusions about how public order events should be policed in the future," Mr Malthouse said.

Sir Paul will face questions in public on the incidents at a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority on April 30.

Jacqui Smith welcomed the review by the inspectorate.

"We recently reformed HMIC to increase their capacity to provide this type of advice and it will be the Government’s role to ensure that any lessons are disseminated nationwide," the Home Secretary said.

"There are obvious areas of concern and the sad death of Mr Tomlinson, and the incident involving the actions of an individual officer have rightly been referred to the IPCC. They will be independently and properly investigated and we await the conclusion of those investigations."

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