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| Charlene Downes: New footage of murdered Blackpool teenager | Charlene Downes: New footage of murdered Blackpool teenager |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Detectives involved in Lancashire Police's "longest" murder investigation have issued new images of the last day the missing teenager was seen. | Detectives involved in Lancashire Police's "longest" murder investigation have issued new images of the last day the missing teenager was seen. |
| The footage has been released on the 13th anniversary of Charlene Downes' 2003 disappearance in central Blackpool. | |
| The new shots of Charlene, 14, were found in a review of the CCTV footage from the town's centre. | The new shots of Charlene, 14, were found in a review of the CCTV footage from the town's centre. |
| Her body has never been found and nobody has been convicted of her death. | Her body has never been found and nobody has been convicted of her death. |
| Det Supt Andy Webster said: "Hopefully these pictures of Charlene on the day she disappeared will help jog someone's memory." | Det Supt Andy Webster said: "Hopefully these pictures of Charlene on the day she disappeared will help jog someone's memory." |
| 'Same outfit' | 'Same outfit' |
| Charlene is shown with her sister Rebecca on Bank Hey Street at about 15:25 GMT on 1 November, 2003, walking towards the Coral Island amusement arcade. | Charlene is shown with her sister Rebecca on Bank Hey Street at about 15:25 GMT on 1 November, 2003, walking towards the Coral Island amusement arcade. |
| She went home but returned to Blackpool town centre later that evening. | She went home but returned to Blackpool town centre later that evening. |
| That was the last time Charlene was seen. | That was the last time Charlene was seen. |
| Police said the clothes she is wearing in the footage are the same as when she vanished. | Police said the clothes she is wearing in the footage are the same as when she vanished. |
| Det Supt Webster also said officers are looking at links between Charlene's disappearance and the "wider issue of child sexual exploitation" in Blackpool. | Det Supt Webster also said officers are looking at links between Charlene's disappearance and the "wider issue of child sexual exploitation" in Blackpool. |
| He said: "We have identified a number of people who could potentially be victims and offenders and we will be seeking to make arrests and prosecute abusers in the near future." | He said: "We have identified a number of people who could potentially be victims and offenders and we will be seeking to make arrests and prosecute abusers in the near future." |
| A judge cleared a man of Charlene's murder in 2008 after "grave doubts" were raised about evidence during his second trial. The jury in his first trial failed to reach a verdict. | A judge cleared a man of Charlene's murder in 2008 after "grave doubts" were raised about evidence during his second trial. The jury in his first trial failed to reach a verdict. |
| A year later the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said police evidence-gathering errors contributed to the retrial's collapse. | A year later the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said police evidence-gathering errors contributed to the retrial's collapse. |
| The IPCC found strategic and tactical failure in the management of the material and several officers were disciplined with one forced to resign in 2011. | The IPCC found strategic and tactical failure in the management of the material and several officers were disciplined with one forced to resign in 2011. |
| But this resignation order was overturned by a 2012 Police Arbitration Tribunal. | But this resignation order was overturned by a 2012 Police Arbitration Tribunal. |