Police reject Straw's criticism

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Officials in Leicestershire have called on the justice secretary to withdraw criticism of the police over the deaths of a mother and daughter in Barwell.

After years of abuse from local youths, Fiona Pilkington, 38, set fire to her car in October 2007 as she and daughter Francecca Hardwick, 18, sat inside.

Jack Straw said on Friday the deputy chief constable had "shuffled off responsibility" for the case.

Chris Eyre, now the acting chief constable, said this was "inaccurate".

I apologised personally for anything that we could or should have done better Chris Eyre, Acting Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police

Mr Straw said on BBC Radio Derby on Friday: "What happened in Leicester, let's be clear about this, was quite shameful neglect by the local police of what was going on, with the deputy chief constable basically shuffling off responsibility for that - that it is no way to behave."

Councillor Byron Rhodes, chairman of Leicestershire Police Authority said: "He's wrong. The deputy chief constable certainly did not shuffle off responsibility, but accepted it fully at the press conference when the inquest closed as did the county council and the borough council.

"We fully acknowledge that things went very, very wrong. Those lessons have been learned and a great deal has been done to improve matters since.

"We shall draw his [Mr Straw's] attention to the fact his statements were inaccurate and ask him to withdraw them."

Mr Eyre, the deputy chief constable, who is now acting chief constable, said: "Jack Straw is an honourable man I'm sure he would not have meant to say something that was inaccurate.

"At no stage of the process have I ever tried to shuffle off responsibility for the constabulary or would I - I apologised personally for anything that we could or should have done better.

"We have moved heaven and earth since 2007 to improve the way that we deal with not only anti-social behaviour but every aspect of policing and will continue to do so."

In September, an inquest jury found Ms Pilkington's requests for help, after consistent abuse by a 16-strong gang of youths, had been ignored by the authorities.