Police chief urged to take blame for Soham errors

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

Probe chairman Michael Bichard called on the Chief Constable of Humberside Police, David Westwood to take “personal responsibility” for a host of “very serious failings” in his force.

It was impossible to guarantee that other sexual deviants had not escaped officers’ attention because intelligence systems were so shambolic, said Bichard.

The crucial shortcoming was the inability of police in England and Wales to share information, it found.

The report proposed a new “passport” system for registering people who work with children and vulnerable adults.