Two police officers could face criminal charges over evidence given at an inquest into the death of musician Sean Rigg, a watchdog announced yesterday.

Mr Rigg, who suffered from schizophrenia, died in August 2008 while being held at Brixton police station.

The inquest found that the officers involved had used “unsuitable force.”

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it had passed information to prosecutors following the inquest to consider whether two serving Metropolitan Police officers should be brought to court.

A sergeant and a police constable were arrested in March last year on suspicion of perjury and perverting the course of justice.

The IPCC said it had “concluded its investigation into the evidence given at the inquest into the death of Sean Rigg and has decided to provide its investigation report to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration as to whether criminal charges should be brought against two serving Metropolitan Police Service officers.”

Mr Rigg had been arrested for attacking passers-by and police officers in Balham, south London.

But the IPCC probe into Mr Rigg’s death has been condemned by his family as “extremely poor and ineffective” and last year a review of the investigation found that it should be looked at again.

The probe recommended re-examination of claims by four officers that they were unaware of Mr Rigg’s mental illness — despite his strange actions and being known to the police — and of police failure to run background checks on his passport.