Police chief criticises documentary serial killer claim

A police chief has criticised broadcaster ITV over a documentary which alleges two couples were murdered by a serial killer.

Howard Ainsworth, 79, and his wife, Beatrice, 78, were found dead at their home in Wilmslow in 1996, while Donald Ward, 73, and his wife, Auriel, 69, were also found dead at their house in the Cheshire town three years later.

Cheshire Police concluded at the time that in both cases, the husband had killed their wives before taking their own lives, but ITV said the "fair and balanced" Hunting The Silver Killer challenged those findings.

Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts Roberts said the film was based on "spurious claims" and there was "no serial killer at large".

The documentary, which sees two experienced forensics experts considering the evidence in both cases and includes input from coroners' officers and former police staff.

Roberts said "following the spurious claims made by a former member of staff, both cases were meticulously investigated by experienced detectives, along with specialist forensic scientists and officers from the National Crime Agency".

He said they all "concluded that there was absolutely no evidence to support further investigation".

"My heart goes out to both the Ainsworth and Ward families who have been deeply impacted by these harmful claims," he said.

"Both have stated throughout that they were against any documentary and did not wish to have any involvement in the show."

He added that both families felt they had been "harassed by the production company over the past two years, when it should instead have been focused on conducting due diligence on the credibility of the sources they relied on".

An ITV spokesperson said the broadcaster "acted with transparency and integrity in the making of this film, respected the family's wishes not to take part and gave a right of reply to Cheshire Police, adhering to Ofcom's Code of Conduct".

They said the film was "a fair and balanced look at the events surrounding these murders including the views of two of the country's most eminent forensic scientists, following a great deal of public speculation".

Cheshire Police said the staff member at the centre of the allegations was found guilty of seven counts of gross misconduct.

The panel ruled she would have been dismissed had she not already resigned and she was also added to the College of Policing barred list, prohibiting her from working in policing roles.

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