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Amber Peat: IPCC 'significant concerns' over delay | Amber Peat: IPCC 'significant concerns' over delay |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Nottinghamshire Police took two days to investigate a sighting of missing girl Amber Peat close to where she was found dead, according to the police watchdog. | |
The 13-year-old left her Mansfield home on 30 May and her body was found less than a mile away three days later. | |
The Independent Police Complaints Commission's (IPCC) initial inquiry raised "significant concerns". | |
The force said it was not a final report and since the IPCC referral more information had come to light. | |
As well as the IPCC investigation, Amber's death is also the subject of an inquest and serious case review. | As well as the IPCC investigation, Amber's death is also the subject of an inquest and serious case review. |
Following a Freedom of Information request, emails between the force and police watchdog were released which included an initial assessment of the search. | |
It revealed a member of the public told officers about a girl matching Amber's description disappearing into bushes near her home on Bosworth Street on Sunday 31 May. | |
But it was not followed up until 48 hours later. | |
According to the police log, officers went with the caller to establish the exact location and once there, discovered Amber's body "well hidden within a large thicket of bushes". | |
It is thought she died before the police were alerted to the sighting, the log said. | |
The watchdog also highlighted concerns over officers only upgrading Amber's disappearance to high risk 16 hours after she went missing. | |
An IPCC analyst said: "It is very worrying to read this matter was classed as medium risk... | |
"Given that Amber was merely 13 years of age and had an extensive history as a missing person, I am of the view that this scenario constituted a high risk. | "Given that Amber was merely 13 years of age and had an extensive history as a missing person, I am of the view that this scenario constituted a high risk. |
"My concerns have heightened given the officers actions when handling potential leads." | "My concerns have heightened given the officers actions when handling potential leads." |
The report also acknowledged police received a "copious amount of suggestions for Amber's location". | The report also acknowledged police received a "copious amount of suggestions for Amber's location". |
However, it said the way officers handled intelligence needed to be looked at. | |
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Nottinghamshire Police said the information was "not in any way a report from the IPCC". | |
"As a result the correspondence does not represent the current factual position of the IPCC, as they are continuing to look into the circumstances leading up to Amber's body being discovered," she said. | |
"No conclusions or recommendations have been sent to the force by way of a report." | |
A spokesman for the IPCC said the investigation is ongoing. |