Suspend Huntley police chief call

Mr Westwood said he wanted to stay on and implement changes

David Blunkett has ordered the suspension of Humberside's police chief after a report found "serious failings" in checks on Soham killer Ian Huntley.

The home secretary used new powers to force Humberside Police Authority to suspend Chief Constable David Westwood.

He was responding to an inquiry which found "shocking shortcomings" in vetting procedures had allowed Huntley to get a job as a school caretaker.

But Mr Westwood later insisted he was still in charge of the force.

Catalogue of failures

"I am aware that the home secretary has announced that he is asking the police authority to suspend me," he said.

"They have not done so.

"Until they decide what their position is I will remain chief constable," he added.

The home secretary's call for Mr Westwood's suspension is almost unprecedented.

BBC Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says Mr Blunkett used powers under the Police Reform Act 2002 to order Humberside Police Authority to suspend Mr Westwood.

Shaw added that as far as Mr Blunkett is concerned the suspension has already started but Humberside may delay putting it into effect.

Colin Inglis, a member of the authority, told the Grimsby Evening Telegraph: "This is something that needs to be considered properly and not in haste...

"The authority does, however, wish to place on record the fact that it welcomes the findings of the inquiry."

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS: Registration scheme for those wishing to work with children or vulnerable adults National IT system for England and Wales to support police intelligence. Code of Practice on police record creation, review, retention, deletion and sharing Teacher and governor training on safeguarding children's interests in interviews Bichard calls for child register

Sir Michael Bichard's report on police and vetting procedures found failings in the senior management at Humberside Police.

He said Humberside either deleted or failed to retain records on Huntley's murky past.

Its local intelligence system was "fundamentally flawed" while its child protection database was "largely worthless".

The force was "haemorrhaging" intelligence in a way which cast doubt on the usefulness of its records as a whole, the report found.

'Deeply shocking'

It also criticised Cambridgeshire Constabulary for errors which meant background checks were not carried out on Huntley.

After Huntley's trial it emerged he got the job at Soham Village College despite a string of past sex allegations. He went on to murder Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both 10.

Sir Michael said: "The inquiry did find errors, omissions, failures and shortcomings which are deeply shocking.

Huntley killed Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman

"One cannot be confident that it was Huntley alone who 'slipped through the net'."

The Home Office, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), Cambridgeshire Police, North East Lincolnshire Social Services and the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) are all criticised in the 200-page report.

'Watershed' report

It makes clear the Data Protection Act was not to blame for the fact Huntley's details were not retained.

It made 31 recommendations, including a registration scheme be set up for people working with children and vulnerable adults.

A national intelligence system should be established as an urgent priority, it said.

Sir Michael Bichard wants to set up a register for vetted adults

Mr Blunkett backed Sir Michael's view that responsibility for the failures rested with Humberside Chief Constable David Westwood.

The Humberside authority will report back to the Home Secretary by 6 July. Then he will decide whether to pursue the chief constable's retirement or resignation.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said any failure by police forces to follow the Bichard report's lessons would be "a catastrophe measured in human tragedies".