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Missing Charlene Downes: New footage of Blackpool teen | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Footage of a teenager recorded on the day she went missing 13 years ago has been released for the first time. | |
New shots of Charlene Downes, 14, who was last seen in Blackpool town centre, were discovered during a trawl of CCTV. Her body has never been found. | |
Her mother Karen said she was "disgusted" the footage had only just been found after years spent investigating the unsolved murder case. | |
Lancashire Police said it "understood" Ms Downes' views. | |
Nobody has been convicted over Charlene's death. | |
'Just want closure' | |
The footage has been released on the anniversary of Charlene's 2003 disappearance - as part of the forces "longest" murder investigation. | |
Ms Downes said: "What I can't fathom is why this [the footage] was never found in the previous investigation. This is the bit I'm absolutely disgusted with. | |
"At the same time I'm happy with the footage and now hopefully they [the detectives] can move forward and we can get some answers. | |
"I want closure now... We can't move on with our lives and it's just terrible." | |
Det Ch Insp Richard McCutcheon said: "I can understand [the family's] views. We have just found the images and that's why we are publishing them now." | |
'Child sexual exploitation' | |
Charlene is shown with her sister Rebecca in 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 Andy Webster 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. |