Huntley: 'shocking' errors

David Blunkett today took the unprecedented step of suspending the chief constable personally blamed for a catalogue of failures which let Ian Huntley kill.

In a dramatic Commons statement the Home Secretary said he was using special powers to suspend Humberside Chief Constable David Westwood.

The move comes after a report into how Huntley came to kill Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman singled out Mr Westwood for massive criticism. In his report Sir Michael Bichard made the most damning criticisms of any

police chief in living memory as he pilloried Mr Westwood for his running of the force and the way it let Huntley slip through the net.

Mr Blunkett said: "It is Sir Michael's view that the final responsibility for these serious failures rests with Chief Constable David

Westwood. It is difficult to disagree with this." Mr Blunkett said he had ordered Humberside Police Authority to suspend Mr Westwood with immediate effect until July while his local police authority considers a report by the chief inspector of constabulary, Sir Keith Povey, into his conduct. Once

he delivers his report, Mr Westwood may be required to resign or he could be paid off into retirement.

The damning verdict came after Sir Michael's report into how Huntley was able to get a job as the caretaker at Soham Village College despite a history of sex attacks on women.

Sir Michael criticises police chiefs, social services and the Home Office, leaving no organisation involved in the Soham case exempt from blame.

And he said he could offer "no guarantees" that another Huntley had not slipped through the net in the same way.

A second police chief, Cambridge Chief Constable Tom Lloyd escaped personal criticism but was told "serious" errors had been made by his force in the vetting they were supposed to carry out.

Mr Blunkett is known to be furious that Mr Lloyd went on holiday hours after the two 10-year-olds went missing, and his position is today unclear.

Sir Michael told a press conference he had discovered "errors, omissions, failings and

shortcomings which are deeply shocking". He said the mistakes by Humberside Police were so widespread that "I cannot be confident it was Huntley alone who slipped through the net".

Evidence had haemorrhaged in an "alarming way," he said.

He said Mr Westwood should take "personal responsibility".

A second report due today, from former chief constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan, was identifying mistakes made by Cambridgeshire officers in the murder hunt following the disappearance of the girls.

Mr Blunkett promised swift action to strengthen police record-keeping. But his department also faces massive criticism of its failure to set up a proper national police intelligence system - which today the Association of Chief Police Officers said it needed to put new resources in place.

In a series of urgent recommendations, the report called for "passports" for job seekers who have been cleared to work with children, clear guidance to police on storing records, and better training for headteachers and school governors to spot potential child abusers.

Mr Blunkett promised to bring forward the introduction of a national, searchable index of police intelligence reports.