Police force hits back after Letby case criticism

The police force that investigated Lucy Letby's crimes has criticised those who attempt to "destroy reputations" after a former cabinet minister claimed officers ignored or broke rules while working on the case.

Cheshire Constabulary said it "strongly refutes" comments made by Sir David Davis in Parliament on Thursday. He claimed there had been "multiple deviations from best professional practice".

The force said it remained "confident in the integrity of the investigation, the conduct of the prosecution, and the decisions reached by the courts".

It said "constant noise" about neonatal nurse Letby, who was convicted of murdering seven babies, undermined public confidence in the justice system.

The 35-year-old, previously from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was also convicted at Manchester Crown Court of attempting to murder seven others - one of whom on two occasions - between June 2015 and June 2016.

The babies were attacked while Letby worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Sir David told MPs on Thursday he would write to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to call for a review into the conduct of Cheshire Constabulary.

He has previously branded the Letby case as "one of the major injustices of modern times".

The former Brexit Secretary called for the force to release a series of documents, including investigators' policy books and decision books, records of identified lines of inquiry and minutes from meetings.

Letby's case is being reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

Judges have rejected her attempts to challenge her convictions.

In its statement, Cheshire Constabulary said while it welcomed scrutiny, it was "essential that such scrutiny is grounded in fact and does not inadvertently cut across due process, ongoing legal considerations, or the independence of the judiciary".

It continued: "Over the past two years, the force has come under constant criticism and has been intensely scrutinised and subject to unpleasant opinion from a core group of individuals who appear to pride themselves on spreading misinformation, making baseless claims and attempting to destroy reputations.

"Our thoughts remain with the families of the babies, who have always been at the heart of this case."

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