Police chief rejects claims of several tip-offs before Shannon’s rescue

TWO police officers who spearheaded the rescue of Shannon Matthews were singled out for praise yesterday.

West Yorkshire chief constable Sir Norman Bettison highlighted the work of detectives Paul Kettlewell and Nick Townsend as he defended the professionalism of his force.

He dismissed those quoted in the press as claiming to have given police vital pieces of the jigsaw days in advance of Shannon’s rescue as “fantasists”.

And he indicated that the nine-year-old is unlikely to return home for some days as specialist officers continue to build a picture of her 24 days away from home.

Bettison said his officers have interviewed 6,000 people and searched 3,000 houses over the past three weeks and said he was amazed to have to defend his force publicly against criticism over its speed in recovering her.

He said the “rescue” came about due to the alertness of his officers.

But he said it was as a result of the investigating team putting small pieces of the jigsaw together.

And that jigsaw “came together on Thursday evening”.

He said detectives Townsend and Kettlewell knocked on the door of the maisonette in Batley Carr.

He said: “Given that was the 700th action they had undertaken since the start of the investigation, I think it is amazing and it is question of pride for me that they then started to make inquiries of neighbours.

“We heard for the first time in the officers’ investigation about the pitter-patter of a young girl’s footsteps in the maisonette above.”

After hearing the footsteps the officers did a “front-and-back” and kept the flat under surveillance before asking for officers who could force an entry.

Bettison dismissed reports that police had been given tip-offs about the flat.

He said: “The people that might have been quoted in the press as having given the police the whole jigsaw puzzle — the box lid — are fantasising.”

He said Shannon was being questioned in 10- or 15-minute sessions.