Bulger police press officer drops compensation claim

A former police press officer who tried to claim compensation for the stress of dealing with the James Bulger murder has dropped her case.

Wendy Johnson, 41, claimed senior officers at Merseyside Police were at fault for failing to help her cope with the deluge of media inquiries in the wake of the 1993 murder.

Ms Johnson, who was the first civilian press officer appointed by the force in 1989, stood to be awarded an estimated £100,000 if she had been successful in her case against Chief Constable Norman Bettison.

By contrast, James’s mother Denise Fergus received £7,500 from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority for the 1993 murder of two-year-old James.

Ms Johnson, of Warrington, Cheshire, continued in the job for four years after the killing but left on ill-health grounds after failing to win promotion to head of department.

At the end of last year, she lodged a claim for damages alleging that the force had failed her in welfare terms.

The case was due before the County Court in Liverpool in October but Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Grahame Barker last night released a statement saying Ms Johnson had withdrawn her claim.

He said: ‘‘Ms Johnson’s decision to discontinue her claim for compensation highlights the need for the Force to robustly and vigorously contest any claim which challenges the integrity of the Force and our established procedures for caring for the welfare of our staff.

‘‘Merseyside Police contested Ms Johnson’s claim throughout, in the belief that wrongful claims have serious potential to damage the Force’s reputation and the professionalism and dedication of its staff.

‘‘Ms Johnson’s decision to withdraw her claim emphasises the weaknesses of the case and highlights the determination of the Force to protect its reputation.

‘‘Clearly there will be wholly legitimate claims from staff who believe they have suffered trauma in the course of their duties and we will continue to support them wherever possible.

‘‘However, we need to scrutinise each claim to ensure only worthy and legitimate claims receive attention.’’