Star comment: Police got it wrong in this case

And yet there is just a possibility that it might have been.

There would have been the opportunity for others to explore the mind of the Asperger-suffering sexual predator, whose deplorable perversion led to the death of a teenager in Bristol.

And that, or a stern punishment for his actions when he assaulted a Shropshire teacher, might possibly have changed the course of his behaviour. The truth is we will never know whether an intervention would have been successful or would have prevented him from killing.

But the mere possibility that it might have done is an uncomfortable reality.

The police, social services, behavioural experts and those in our education system face a tough job. They must focus on the task in hand while also keeping an eye out for signs of abnormal behaviour.

And when they feel sufficiently alarmed, they must report to others their concerns. That in itself is an unpleasant course of action. Yet it is far more satisfactory and far less troublesome than the opposite route.

An investigation into the perverted killer has now concluded that an earlier attack by Conroy should have been recorded as a crime. The fact that the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) decided that West Mercia Police should have done more reflects badly on the force.

For had it taken a different view, it might have set in motion a series of events that would have changed the course of Conroy’s life and kept others safe.

The police have a responsibility to serve and protect: on this occasion, they could have done more. The officer involved has now retired. The family of Conroy’s subsequent victim may well conclude there is no justice, no peace.

Lessons must be learned. Police must become more adept at treading the fine line between making common sense decisions and spotting darker trends. When officers sign up for the badge, they must know what is expected of them. On this occasion, West Mercia Police fell short of the standards that might have been expected. The force made a mistake.

The catastrophic behaviour of Conroy might not have been predicted had they taken a different course. But there were clear failings that must not be repeated in the future.

West Mercia Police's response

Shropshire Local Policing Superintendent Jason Wells said: “West Mercia Police acknowledges the findings of the review and fully accepts the IPCC’s recommendations.

"Changes have already been implemented across the force and we continue to update our practises and procedures to ensure we provide our workforce with the tools and support they need to properly assess risk and ensure everything feasible is done to protect people from harm.

“We have taken action to ensure our staff are fully aware of our crime recording procedures and are also informed of any changes, such as those we implemented following Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) national inspection – Making the Victim Count.

“We have updated our training to include a new vulnerability toolkit to ensure that staff have the most up to date information and advice to help protect people from harm.

"Where officers work closely with schools and other establishments, we make sure they are equipped with the latest information and tools to ensure that all reports are investigated promptly.

“We work closely with other agencies to share information and learning and we look at all reviews, both local and national, to see what action we can take.

“Ultimately, our role as a police force is to serve and protect and everything we do continues to be in response to the needs of the people in our communities.”