Police wiped Huntley rape charge

Huntley was hired despite prior accusations against him

Police deleted details of a rape charge against Ian Huntley without considering whether the information should be kept, the Bichard Inquiry has heard.

Details of the 1998 charge were deleted from the Police National Computer when the case was discontinued.

This followed police guidelines but the inquiry into how Huntley got a job in a school heard they could have been kept for five years in "exceptional cases".

Humberside Ch Insp Colin Carroll said this had not been considered.

Pc's 'surprise'

The head of Humberside's administrational justice unit admitted it was possible that a great deal of intelligence was lost as a result of that process.

On Monday, the inquiry heard that a Humberside Pc's report warning Huntley could be a serial sex attacker had been deleted.

It is quite clear that Huntley is a serial sex attacker and is at liberty to continue his activities Pc Michael Harding in 1999

Pc Michael Harding told of his surprise that his report was wiped from the Humberside Police database.

He said he had spotted the pattern while looking into an allegation of rape in June 1999.

In the report, Pc Harding said Huntley seemed to choose women who would not make ideal witnesses or complainants.

He said: "It is quite clear that Huntley is a serial sex attacker and is at liberty to continue his activities."

The report was submitted to the divisional intelligence bureau but, the inquiry heard, must have been deleted during a "weeding" process of the records system by civilian staff in July 2000.

It would have been very good to have more training - but it was not recognised as an issue Det Ch Supt Baggs

Humberside Police intelligence director Detective Chief Superintendent Gavin Baggs told the inquiry officers submitting crime reports had assumed the divisional intelligence bureaux would enter any relevant details on to a database, so they had not submitted separate intelligence reports.

Det Ch Supt Baggs called the misunderstanding "regrettable".

"It would have been very good to have more training - but it was not recognised as an issue," he told the inquiry.

The Humberside Police database had now been changed to retain all information for at least five years, and they were planning to give all officers "training in the intelligence arena", Det Ch Supt Baggs added

Huntley murdered 10-year-olds Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells in August 2002.

Decision defended

The inquiry had already heard how Humberside police were made aware of 11 separate criminal allegations against Huntley.

But on Monday a former detective defended his decision to take no action against Huntley over three allegations of underage sex.

Retired Humberside Det Insp Peter Billam dealt with the claims in his role as head of the Grimsby office of the child protection unit for Humberside police in the 1990s.

He said there had not been enough evidence, or that the girls had not co-operated with investigations, but admitted he would have dealt with matters differently if he had linked the accusations.

And under cross-examination, Mr Billam said the child protection database used by the force was "unreliable" as an intelligence tool.

Ch Insp Carroll was one of four Humberside Police officers due to appear before Lord Bichard on Wednesday.