Man given Soham families ban

Holly and Jessica vanished on 4 August last year

A man has been ordered to stop contacting the families of Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

David Westgate, of Admiralty Street, Plymouth, was served with an interim anti-social behaviour order at the city's magistrates court on Monday.

The order bans the 48-year-old from contacting any member of the schoolgirls' families, who live in Soham, Cambridgeshire, by telephone, in writing, or by any other means.

It was made one year to the day after Holly and Jessica disappeared.

The Wells and Chapman families were spending Monday away from the town and no special services were planned to mark the day.

The order also bans Mr Westgater from contacting anyone connected with the trial of Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr by post, telephone or any other means.

The order states that Mr Westgate is not to contact any officer - serving or retired - of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary except for a purpose unconnected with the investigation into the murders of Holly and Jessica.

The case against Mr Westgate was brought by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary and Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

The interim order is fixed until 2 February, 2004.

A date for a full hearing has not yet been set.