Police chief's tearful vow

13 April 2012

A chief constable choked back tears today as he gave an assurance to the parents of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman that his force would "not be found wanting" when it came to learning the lessons of their murders.

Humberside chief constable David Westwood admitted he was "wrong" to argue that records on Soham killer Ian Huntley had been deleted in compliance with the Data Protection Act.

In evidence to the Bichard Inquiry, David Westwood revealed he had taken advice on the Act in a telephone call with the Deputy Information Commissioner David Smith before issuing a press statement just hours after Huntley's double murder conviction last year.

Mr Westwood admitted today he had "misinterpreted" the advice and had not even consulted his force's solicitor or his own data protection officer before issuing the statement.

He said: "It was a telephone call. It was ill-advised and I made a mistake."

Asked by counsel to the inquiry James Eadie why had failed to consult the force solicitor, Mr Westwood said: "Because I thought I had got the definitive advice. I went to the fount and I got it wrong."

Mr Westwood read parts of the statement in a press conference just hours after Huntley had been jailed in December last year.

The statement said: "Under the Act (Data Protection Act), information cannot be retained solely for the purpose of employment vetting.

"To do so would be a breach of the Act. It can only be retained for a policing purpose.

"We therefore have to weed our systems on a regular basis.
"Details about our contacts with Huntley were deleted from the system in accordance with our then policy."

In his evidence today, Mr Westwood said: "I could try to justify why I made a mistake. I do not intend to try to justify why I made a mistake. It was my mistake and I made it.

He added that the misleading statement was a result of his "misapprehension" and added: "It was accidental. It was not intended and done in all good faith."

Earlier the Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Police had admitted that it is "more likely than not" that his force never asked Humberside Police to vet Huntley.

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