The mother of missing Blackpool teenager Charlene Downes says she will sue police over what she claims is the mishandling of the case.



Charlene was 14 when she disappeared in 2003 - she has never been found.

Karen Downes said she is taking legal action over a 13-year gap in releasing CCTV images of the teenager on the day she vanished.

Police released fresh CCTV footage in November last year as part of a review of all material carried out by a new cold case team looking into Charlene's disappearance and murder.
Karen says she is seeking damages and a public apology over their handling of the investigation and the new footage.

She said: ''It's not really about the money, it's about the prnciple.

''I want justice and the police have never really delivered the justice that is so rightfully deserved by Charlene.

''It was last November when the new CCTV footage came to light, that showed Charlene withn her sister in Bank Hey Street, wearing the same clothes that she disapperaed in. Why has it taken the police so long to bring this forward? It's been in the archives for 13 years, so why wasn't it included in the first investigation?

''This is primarily why I'm suing the police - I want answers. Also, if they have that hidden in the archive, what else could be there? Could there be some evidence?''

The investigation into Charlene Downes’ disappearance and death is one of Lancashire Constabulary's longest running investigations.

Two men faced trial in May 2007, but the jury failed to reach a verdict. A retrial was ordered, but prior to the start of this trial in April 2008, the prosecution identified a number of issues with the evidence. As a result the Crown Prosecution Service formally offered no evidence.

There remains a £100,000 reward on offer for information leading to the conviction of Charlene Downes’ killer(s) or the recovery of her body.