Embattled Humberside police chief David Westwood should not be sacked for failures over the Soham murder case, the father of victim Holly Wells said tonight.

British Home Secretary David Blunkett was tonight preparing for a High Court battle, which could come as early as Monday, over the future of Humberside’s Chief Constable David Woodward.

The Home Office should take more of the blame for the failings identified by the Bichard Inquiry into the handling of Soham murderer Ian Huntley, a senior police officer said today.

Humberside Police Authority put itself on a collision course with the British Home Secretary today, defying his order to suspend chief constable David Westwood after a report into police failures in the Soham child murder case.

Embattled Humberside chief constable David Westwood insisted today he had widespread public support despite calls for his suspension over police failings in the Soham murder case.

A BELEAGUERED was last night involved in a stand-off with the British Home Secretary who had ordered his suspension over the Soham debacle.

An inquiry into how child killer Ian Huntley slipped through the UK police’s intelligence net today revealed a “deeply shocking” catalogue of errors.

Humberside Police chief constable David Westwood insisted today he would not be resigning from his post despite pressure in the aftermath of the Soham murder case.

The British police force that investigated the Soham murders faces a double barrage of criticism for its handling of Ian Huntley in two scathing reports expected out next week.

Humberside’s Chief Constable David Westwood is adamant that the British Data Protection Act was to blame for the deletion of records on Ian Huntley.

UK Humberside Chief Constable David Westwood was twice warned not to blame Britain's Data Protection Act for the deletion of records on Ian Huntley, the Soham Inquiry heard today.

THE Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Police accepts it is “more likely than not” that his force never asked Humberside Police to vet Soham killer Ian Huntley, the Bichard Inquiry heard yesterday.

The Chief Constable of the British police force that failed to keep records of a string of sex allegations against Ian Huntley was appearing before the Soham inquiry today.

The inquiry into how Soham child killer Ian Huntley got a job as a school caretaker, despite a string of sex allegations, was under way.

A British police force at the centre of the inquiry into how Ian Huntley was able to get a job as a school caretaker today said it would be willing to acknowledge mistakes.

An inquiry was opening today into how evil Soham murderer Ian Huntley was able to get a job as a school caretaker despite a string of sex allegations in his past.

The Chief Constable whose force investigated allegations of rape and underage sex against Huntley today admitted there were “system failings and elements of human error“.