Mandy's secret lover to sue police

Alison Lewis was interviewed 23 times by police

Alison Lewis, the lover of murdered mother Mandy Power, plans to sue South Wales Police for the "torture" she suffered when she was arrested over the four Clydach killings.

The former policewoman, who was held by her own force and questioned for four days, said she is vindicated by David Morris's conviction but wanted redress for the way she was "branded a murderer" by her detention.

Mrs Lewis was held and quizzed by police for four days in July 2000

South Wales Police has defended the way it handled the investigation, one of the largest murder inquiries in its history.

In all the inquiry included more than 4,500 witnesses statements and 4,000 exhibits.

Mrs Lewis's husband, Stephen, and his twin brother, Stuart, both serving officers in the force, were also held in July 2000, all three on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

Both men remain suspended from the force and are also taking legal action.

Mrs Lewis has left the service and is now divorced from her husband.

Stephen Lewis has divorced Alison but is suspended from his job

South Wales Police Chief Inspector Wynne Phillips said detectives had had a duty to follow up every lead regardless of any other consideration.

He said: "The ethical standards of this inquiry over the whole three years have been of the highest level.

"I have got no problem with the time it took and I feel that we can stand the scrutiny of anyone.

"We do not work from gut feeling and innuendo and whatever people think, we have to work from evidence and facts and if that takes three years it is better doing it that way."

Mrs Lewis read out a prepared statement on the steps of Swansea Crown Court immediately after the trial in which she showed her anger at the way the defence used the fact of her arrest to portray her as the "probable" killer.

Detective Chief Inspector Wynne Phillips defended the three-year inquiry

"Throughout the trial, my rights as an innocent person were neither given nor respected as David Morris's defence team did their utmost to make me look guilty by implication and insinuation."

In all, Mrs Lewis was subjected to 23 police interviews by detectives.

She said: "I was interrogated. I was tortured with my grief for four long days.

"South Wales Police wrongly branded me a murderer, a murderer of the four people I loved.

"I feel I still need answers, and the only way for me to get those answers from South Wales Police is to sue them, because what happened on that day in July has effectively ruined my life."

Inspector Stuart Lewis was the first officer at the murder scene

Her position is reflected in the view of Morris's neighbour, Mike Randerson, who said people could not understand why the known local criminal was not an early suspect.

He said: "It was frustrating and it was annoying because I mean most of us were pretty well convinced that it was Dai Morris, and yet they just didn't seem to have any interest in it at all."

Phil Lloyd, of the south Wales branch of the Police Federation, said both Lewis brothers also felt they had been vindicated by the verdict.

"At this juncture it is not possible to say more but obviously they will be pursuing their case in the weeks and months to come."