London Met Police returned my brother's ligature to us without warning.

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Hello everyone. My brother recently took his own life, and the way the Met Police have handled his belongings has made an already horrific situation so much worse.

When officers came to the house, they took his electronics and the notes he left outlining his final instructions, but they didn't leave any receipt or inventory. I spent days chasing them, getting completely ignored by the investigating officer. I eventually had to threaten to report the items as stolen just to find out where they were.

A staff member at the station finally emailed me a vague list of what they had: his phone, iPad, letters, and an item just listed as "Clothing Fabric."

When I went to the station to collect his things, they handed me a brown evidence bag. With absolutely no warning or explanation of what was inside, I opened it right there in the waiting area in front of my grieving father. It was the dressing gown belt my brother used to hang himself.

I am already submitting formal complaints to the Met and the IOPC, but I want to know where we stand legally:

Are there specific policies or laws they broke by failing to warn us or properly label a ligature before handing it back?

Do we have grounds for a civil claim (like negligence or breach of duty of care) for the severe distress this caused my dad and me?

What specific type of solicitor should I be looking for to help with this?

Thanks in advance for any advice