Tamper probe nurse 'to sue police'

A nurse who spent more than six weeks in custody accused of contaminating saline in a hospital tampering investigation plans to sue police in Britain, newspapers reported today.

Proceedings against Rebecca Leighton, 27, were discontinued on Friday.

One Sunday newspaper said she was planning to sue police for a six-figure sum, claiming wrongful arrest, and another said she planned to claim £1m (€1.2m) compensation.

Police have vowed to leave “no stone unturned” in their investigation into the deaths of seven hospital patients, promising to interview at least another 500 potential witnesses.

The probe into a number of unexplained deaths at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport is said to be “very much active” with officers working “around the clock”.

Greater Manchester Police is planning to interview around 500 more people, including staff, patients and visitors, out of more than 700 who could have had access to the area during the time the tampering could have taken place.

Two hundred people have already been spoken to as part of the inquiry, compared in size by the force to the 1996 IRA Manchester bomb inquiry.

Ms Leighton, of Heaviley, Stockport, had been facing three counts of causing criminal damage with intent to endanger life and three alternative counts of causing damage being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

After charges were discontinued, she said she had been “living in hell” since her arrest, initially on suspicion of murder.

She will not be able to return to work, as an interim order suspending her from the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s register remains in place.

Detectives are investigating the deaths of seven patients – and potentially 40 victims in total – connected with sabotaged saline drips.

Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said: “To prove a case you need not only to prove guilt but to eliminate the possible involvement of others.

“In this case our further investigation has shown there were over 700 people who could have had access to the area concerned in a tight time period

“A working hospital is a very busy working environment where there are huge numbers of people coming and going and staff trying to look after patients.

“No-one has made any definitive admissions in this case, there is obviously no CCTV of patient treatment and many members of staff had legitimate access to the areas and materials involved.

“This is a unique investigation given the nature of the crime scene, the numbers who had access to it and the complexity of the medical evidence.

“Thousands of items have been subject to examination and we have interviewed hundreds of witnesses, with hundreds more left to speak to. We will leave no stone unturned in our investigation.”

He said there had been no further contamination or related deaths since the initial incidents were reported but police could not rule out further incidents.

A spokeswoman for Stepping Hill Hospital said heightened security measures remain in place and will continue for the foreseeable future.

Reading a statement on Friday on Ms Leighton’s behalf after her return to the family home in Denton, Greater Manchester, solicitor Carl Richmond said: “I have been living in hell and was locked up in prison for something I had not done.

“It was so frustrating for me knowing that the person who actually carried out these terrible acts is still out there.”