Soham murders report slams police IT systems

The Bichard report, an investigation of police failures in vetting school caretaker Ian Huntley, who was convicted of murdering Soham schoolgirls Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells, has demanded the urgent introduction of a national IT system to support police intelligence in England and Wales.

Sir Michael Bichard's damning report, published today, described failures in Humberside Police and Cambridge Constabulary as "deeply shocking" and "serious".

The inquiry was launched after it emerged Huntley had been accused of sexual offences before he took the job at the Soham school but both police forces failed to spot the allegations when he was vetted for the position.

"An IT system capable of allowing police intelligence to be shared nationally is a priority," said the report. "This recognition has not, however, always been matched by effective action. Nationally, the picture is disappointing. Although the need for a national intelligence IT capability has been recognised for at least a decade, I find that very little progress has been made."

Bichard cited the disparate development of local IT systems, many of which do not communicate with each other, as one of the reasons for the difficulty in accessing relevant information needed for decision-making.

He held up the Scottish Intelligence Database (SID) as an example of what the English and Welsh police should be aiming for.

"The inability to deliver an effective national intelligence IT capability in England and Wales should be contrasted, unfavourably, with Scotland. The Scottish Intelligence Database (SID) will be fully operational by the end of this year. It cost in the region of £10m to £11m and will have taken about four years to deliver from start to finish," the report said.

Along with a national police intelligence system, Bichard called for investment in the Police National Computer (PNC) to secure its medium- and long-term future and said the recommendations must be taken forward by the Home Office.

Home Secretary David Blunkett said in a statement: "The recommendations in the report apply to a range of public services and government departments. The government accepts Sir Michael's main recommendations and will act on them immediately."

Blunkett said a new national police intelligence system called IMPACT will ensure all forces use one system to manage and share intelligence information. As an interim measure the introduction of the police local exchange (PLX) will be brought forward this autumn. PLX is a searchable index of anyone the police hold information on.

Having discovered "errors, omissions, failures and shortcomings in police intelligence procedures and systems", Bichard said he could not be confident it was just Huntley who "slipped through the net". But he stopped short of blaming the forces for the murders and said there was no "causal link".

The inquiry will be reconvened in six months to review progress on Bichard's recommendations.