16 January 2004
Sir Michael Bichard, the former civil servant charged with leading the inquiry established in the wake of Ian Huntley's conviction, has promised to be fast, thorough and tough.
Following Huntley's conviction for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman last month, Home Secretary David Blunkett asked Bichard to review the way police intelligence relating to Huntley was handled and why information was not shared between agencies.
Opening his inquiry on January 13, Bichard said he aimed to discover what happened, why and draw out the lessons that can be learned. Three weeks of public hearings begin on February 16.
PFjan2004