Chief Constable speaks out on behalf of families in relation to TV documentary

The Chief Constable of Cheshire Police has spoken out on behalf of two families about a documentary set to be broadcast on ITV.

Hunting the Silver Killer, a production by ITV Wales, is based on spurious claims by a former member of police staff that called into question the findings of detectives in relation to a number of historic homicide cases.

The claims were later completely disproved by experts, and the member of staff responsible was later found guilty of seven counts of gross misconduct. The panel ruled that she would have been dismissed had she not already resigned.

She was also added to the College of Policing barred list meaning that she is prohibited from working in roles in policing.

Speaking in support of the families, Chief Constable Mark Roberts QPM, said:

“From the outset we have been clear that there is absolutely no evidence that the Ainsworth and Ward cases were double murders, and that there is no serial killer at large in connection with these historic deaths.

“Following the spurious claims made by a former member of staff both cases were meticulously investigated by experienced detectives, along with specialist forensic scientists and officers from the National Crime Agency.

“All of whom concluded that there was absolutely no evidence to support further investigation into these matters.

“My heart goes out to both the Ainsworth and Ward families who have been deeply impacted by these harmful claims, and both have stated throughout that they were against any documentary and did not wish to have any involvement in the show.

“Yet despite this, both families feel that they have been harassed by the production company over the past two years, when it should instead have been focussed on conducting due diligence on the credibility of the sources they relied on.” 

Chief Constable Roberts added:

“I would like to take this as an opportunity to acknowledge the unnecessary pain and suffering endured by the Ainsworth and Ward families over recent years.

“The person who wrote the original report was not a doctor or a lawyer, and  their actions have had a deep and long-lasting impact on both families, and I hope that they are able to start to move forward with their lives in peace.

“We are clear that all staff and officers have the right to raise concerns, however this must always be done through the correct channels. In this case, the member of staff did not follow these procedures and her actions resulted in significant unnecessary concern and distress for the families of all those involved.”