The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 10

10 The Guardian Wednesday November 6 2002 National news Police spell out Lamplugh blunders Prime suspect is named, but case cannot be taken further Nick Hopkins Crime correspondent 'We are greatly distressed and angered that after all these years it is still not possible to prosecute the person we believe murdered Suzy' Paul Lamplugh, victim's father 'If these significant opportunities had been grasped at the time, it may have led us to a prosecution many years ago' Bill Griffiths, Scotland Yard cumstantial evidence against the 47-year-old convicted rapist and murderer was insufficient to take to court. At a press conference yesterday, during which the police admitted they could take the case no further without fresh evidence, Lamplugh's father Paul said: "We are greatly distressed, and indeed considerably angered, that after all these years it is still not possible to prosecute the person who both we and the police believe murdered Suzy." Detectives conceded yesterday that Cannan should have been a suspect from the early stages of the original inquiry. This was launched when Lamplugh, 25, disappeared in July 1986 while showing a client, who called himself Mr Kipper, around a vacant house in Fulham, south-west London. Three days before Lamplugh vanished Cannan had been released from a hostel at nearby Wormwood Scrubs prison, where he was finishing a six-year sentence for rape. In prison Cannan was known by other inmates as Yet police involved in the original inquiry did not check prisons for records of recently released sex offenders.

Yesterday senior officers confirmed that police had also failed to act upon information supplied by Mr and Mrs Lamplugh about a man of whom The errors that seriously undermined the first investigation into the disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh were outlined for the first time yesterday as her family expressed anger and frustration that the prime suspect for her killing has never been charged. Naming serving prisoner John Cannan as the focus of a reinvestigation into Lam-plugh's abduction and murder, Scotland Yard Detective Assistant Commissioner Bill Griffiths admitted it was a "matter of great regret" that the original inquiry, launched in 1986, had "missed significant opportunities." He said: "If these had been grasped at the time, it may have led us to a prosecution many years ago. But that did not happen." A second investigation, which began two years ago, culminated in a file against Cannan being sent to the crown prosecution service. But Mark Dennis, a senior Treasury counsel, ruled the cir In London in1986 John Cannan: Known as "Kipper" by fellow prisoners what police now realise were important sightings. Despite clues that pointed to Cannan's involvement, he did not become a suspect until he was arrested for the abduction, murder and rape of Shirley Banks, a newly-married sales manager, whom he bludgeoned to death in Bristol in October 1987.

material might emerge that would solve the case once and for all. Mr Lamplugh said yesterday that the "professionalism, dedication and determination" of the officers involved in the second inquiry could not be faulted, and he still hoped "to nail the person who killed our ed by or stalked by the man who subsequently abducted her." In another crucial mistake, police used an out-of-diite photograph of Lamplugh in the first appeals for witnesses. This showed her with dark hair when she had dyed it blond a confusion that led some witnesses to discount Transsexual wins case The court of appeal upheld a complaint by a malc-to-female transsexual yesterday against West Yorkshire police, after it refused to recruit her. The court ruled her willingness to disclose her transsexuality destroyed the force's defence that she would be unable to conduct body searches. Poisoned whisky on sale Trading standards officials have found bottles of fake Johnny Walker Black Label spirits on sale containing methanol, which can cause abdominal pain and blurred vision, leading to blindness and coma.

NHS chief jailed for fraud Don Marquis, chief executive of Surrey Oaklands NHS trust, was jailed for 18 months by Kingston crown court for claiming 40,000 in petrol expenses for journeys he never made. Senior officer suspended Detective Chief Superintendent Ellie Baker, of West Midlands police, has been suspended after undisclosed allegations not connected with the force. Beating for man in Armagh A man aged 22 was dragged from his chip van in the nationalist village of Cainlough, Co Armagh, last night, and had both legs and an arm broken; the van was driven to his house and set alight. Increase in divorce rate Divorce in England jumped 1.9 last year to give 13 divorcees for every 1,000 married people, the first rise since 1996. Omagh bombers 'used children' Angry Brookside creator scrub teen soap from C4 threatens to schedules Suzy Lamplugh; Disappeared Cannan, a category A prisoner at Full Sutton jail, has been interviewed by police on four occasions since then and has denied involvement in Lamplugh's murder.

But Mr Dickie said yesterday there was "a great deal of circumstantial' evidence" to implicate him. He said police were still hoping that fresh tive, Mark Thompson, pulled the plug on Brookside just as it was about to get a revamp to mark its 20th anniversary. "If they've screwed Brookside, is Channel 4 really the best place for Hollyoaks? Are we going to be messed around again in two years' time?" he said in an interview with Media Guardian.co.uk yesterday. A month ago Mr Thompson announced that Brookside will run on Saturday afternoons until its contract runs out in a year, when it is expected quietly to be killed off. Bosses at Channel 4 appear to have miscalculated the amount of trouble an alienated Mr Redmond could cause: while Brookside was destined for the soap dumper, Hollyoaks is very much on the up and is a key part of Channel jumiiii V.ui mini tun- Minr vilin mhI 1111 blue car, examining a map, while another man sat in the passenger seat of the red Cavalier.

The man who abandoned the bomb car in Omagh's Market Street was believed to have been wearing a rugby top. Dissident republican group the Real IRA, which carried out the attack then declared a ceasefire days later, stepped up its terrorist activity in England and Northern Ireland over the past couple of years and is now bitterly split, with some members wanting the organisation to stand down, others determined to continue violence. Bertie Ahern, the Irish prime minister, yesterday denied claims that his government had made a deal after the Omagh bombing that suspects would not be charged if the Real IRA Rosie Cowan lrelanc correspondent The Omagh bombers brought three young children along on their deadly operation to deflect security force suspicion, detectives now believe. Security sources said witnesses had seen three little boys playing near a blue Vaux-hall Nova or Corsa, thought to be the look-out vehicle, which drove in front of the red Vaux-hall Cavalier which contained the bomb. The cars were seen parked on a grass verge outside a meat plant on Dublin Road, two miles outside the Co Tyrone town, shortly before the blast on August 15 1998, which left 29 dead and hundreds injured.

Several men, one of whom was wearing a rugby shirt, were leaning across the roof of the 4's plans. They need Mr Redmond's cooperation if their plans are to be realised. The teen drama, with its cast of photogenic young actors and realistic storylines, has performed consistently well since it" was launched as a weekly series in 1995. A second weekly episode began in 1996', a third followed in 1999, and a fourth was added last year. Ultimately Channel 4 wants to improve its peak-time audience share by adding a fifth weekly episode Channel 4 says Hollyoaks will be treated "just like any other and it has the right to extend its contract.

But Mr Redmond said: "They want a fifth episode but we need the dust to settle to find out what is happening to Brookside." 11- tliillil.ll 11.111! 11 Matt Wells Media correspondent A month after Channel 4 announced it was effectively axing the long-running soap opera Brookside, its creator is still reeling at the snub. Phil Redmond, the man who redefined the genre with the gritty Merseyside series, said the show had been "screwed" by TV executives who treat programme-makers like servants. Now he is threatening to take his other main series the successful teen soap Holly-oaks elsewhere unless the relationship with Channel 4 improves. Mr Redmond's battle of wills with Channel 4 tops any of his previous, legendary rows. His fury was ignited when the TV company's new chief execu Minimum aLir of I.HI.IHHI pel jiimini iiiifnt 10 i-Jicn 411 I In I11.1 A Otln unit jv nl.Iik-iti ii.iv eiuiiinim ol Oiiluiik VJ mil cnj.

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4ll III tvint-v. lllf urn ill Ihi their daughter had spoken of shortly before she disappeared. This man said he was from Bristol Cannan's hometown and it appeared he had approached Lamplugh in the weeks before her abduction. Detective Chief Inspector Jim Dickie said: "My theory is that Suzv was either befriend declared a ceasefire. He said the allegations were "outrageous and deeply offensive." Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kinkaid, the officer in charge of the new investigation into the blast, refused to comment on the possibility that the boys were in the back of the scout car to help the terrorists avoid suspicion.

Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son, Adrian, was killed in the atrocity, said it defied belief that anyone would use children in this way for such a terrible crime. He said: "How low could they go, to bring children while they went to kill other people's children?" Mr Kinkaid, who took over the inquiry a few months after a damning report by Nuala O'Loan, the Northern Ireland ombudsman, vowed his detec RECOMMENDED ex VAT Upgrade from 256MB Brisbane carry case Replace external DVD external DVDCD-RW ln VAT to Over 6 million people would be better off with us. tives would do all they could to catch the bombers. He is also investigating almost 20 other Real IRA attacks in the same period. Mrs O'Loan revealed that special branch failed to pass on two tip-offs to officers on the ground and dozens of mistakes were made in the ensuing investigation.

The latest twist came just before Dan Crompton, of Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary, was due to present a report, also expected to be highly critical of special branch, to Northern Ireland chief constable, Hugh Orde. The hard-hitting report will castigate the police intelligence unit for failing to make the most effective use of the information it gathered and will call for a massive overhaul of special branch. VOYAGER Si UPGRADES 384MB RAM 35 (4 1 1 3) 52 (61.10) with combo drive I OO (1 1 7.50) evesham The Citibank Premium Current Account. No annual management fees. Personal Bankers with the authority to get things done available on the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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