Dispatch to look for Ellen Higginbottom in Wigan was delayed 13 times, police watchdog findsThe search for a murdered college student was delayed for four hours because there were “simply no officers available”, the police watchdog has found. However, a shortage of officers meant they were delayed 13 times and only dispatched at 11.30pm, four hours after the initial call, when Ellen’s father telephoned Greater Manchester police (GMP) to request an update. The teenager was found “savagely” murdered in the early hours of the following morning after a sexually motivated attack at a beauty spot in Wigan, Greater Manchester. But investigators said all available officers were already dealing with other priority incidents, meaning dispatching officers to look for Higginbottom was delayed 13 times. “Unfortunately Greater Manchester Police have lost 2,000 officers due to funding cuts, all the while our work has become more demanding,” he said.

Source: The Guardian April 05, 2018 11:58 UTC