Georgia Williams murder: Case 'hit home' for police officers

Mr Shaw said the case really hit home for officers in West Mercia Police as her father, Steve, is a serving police officer.

He said: "The Georgia Williams case was particularly profound. It was made no less tragic or more tragic, but it was closer to home because it was a colleague of ours.

"Being completely frank, we felt it more.

"And as has been well documented there were serious questions about whether we should or could have done things better and you do obviously reflect on that.

"But, over my time in term there are things you reflect on and how evil people can be.

"That case, and something I dealt with in Birmingham where four girls got shot on New Years Day when I was commander in Aston, they are dark times – obviously nothing compared to the families and communities experiencing it but I do reflect quite deeply on that, which I think you should."

West Mercia Police underwent a serious case review into the way Georgia's killer Jamie Reynolds was handled by police ahead of the crime.

Reynolds had been known to police and other agencies for more than five years before the fatal attack.

But they, along with social workers and mental health professionals failed to act and a case file on him was closed in 2010, three years before he strangled 17-year-old Georgia.

Reynolds was arrested, convicted and sentenced to a full life term in prison for the murder of Georgia, former head girl at Ercall Wood Technology College. He appealed his life sentence but it was refused.

After the murder, it came to light that Reynolds, of Avondale Road, Wellington had been known to multiple agencies when he was 17.

There were concerns about his sexual behaviour and his mental health.

Following an attack on a 16-year-old girl in 2008, Reynolds had regular contact with the West Mercia Youth Offender Service, Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services and the NSPCC.

Since the investigation, a number of key changes have been made to the way that officers handle future cases like this in the future.

It was revealed this week that the force will also appear charged with contempt of court after allegedly releasing a document online that featured the names of witnesses in the case.