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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Charlene Downes: Murder arrest in missing Blackpool girl probe | Charlene Downes: Murder arrest in missing Blackpool girl probe |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a Blackpool teenager who has been missing for nearly 14 years. | A man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a Blackpool teenager who has been missing for nearly 14 years. |
| Charlene Downes, 14, disappeared on 1 November 2003. Her body has never been found. | Charlene Downes, 14, disappeared on 1 November 2003. Her body has never been found. |
| Police said a 51-year-old man, who lived in Blackpool at the time of her disappearance but now resides in Preston, is currently in custody. | Police said a 51-year-old man, who lived in Blackpool at the time of her disappearance but now resides in Preston, is currently in custody. |
| A £100,000 reward remains on offer for information leading to the conviction of her killer or killers. | A £100,000 reward remains on offer for information leading to the conviction of her killer or killers. |
| Charlene's mother Karen said "her heart was in her mouth" when police told her about the latest arrest and she had her "fingers crossed" for justice. | |
| She said: "I want closure and to know where she is. Not knowing is... horrible." | |
| Last month Mrs Downes said she was going to take legal action against the police who she accused of mishandling the case. | |
| It followed the release in November of CCTV images of her daughter on the day she was last seen. | It followed the release in November of CCTV images of her daughter on the day she was last seen. |
| Ms Downes said the case could have been solved sooner had there not been a 13-year delay in releasing the footage. | Ms Downes said the case could have been solved sooner had there not been a 13-year delay in releasing the footage. |
| 'Bubbly and cheeky' | |
| Charlene, who attended St George's School, was last seen on Talbot Road after she had been with a friend at the North Pier. | |
| Her mother said Charlene was a "typical teenager" who loved the boy band Westlife. | |
| She described her daughter as "bubbly, cheeky... and always happy". | |
| A man was cleared of Charlene's murder in 2008 after "grave doubts" were raised about evidence during his second trial. The jury in his first trial had failed to reach a verdict. | A man was cleared of Charlene's murder in 2008 after "grave doubts" were raised about evidence during his second trial. The jury in his first trial had failed to reach a verdict. |
| In 2009 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. | The IPCC found strategic and tactical failure in the management of the material and several officers were disciplined. |
| One was forced to resign in 2011, but the resignation order was overturned by a 2012 Police Arbitration Tribunal. | One was forced to resign in 2011, but the resignation order was overturned by a 2012 Police Arbitration Tribunal. |
| Charlene Downes timeline | |
| The 14-year-old disappeared on 1 November 2003. Her last known movements were captured on CCTV: |