Police renew appeal 23 years after Charlene Downes vanished

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 16:17 · Archive

Lancashire Police have renewed their appeal for information about Charlene Downes, who disappeared aged 14 on 1 November 2003 in Blackpool. Although she is technically a missing person, police believe she was murdered and opened a murder inquiry in 2006. The case is Lancashire Police's longest unsolved murder investigation and active case.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: 'We still want justice for Charlene, and we want justice for Charlene's parents and family and we would encourage anyone who has any information which could help us find out what happened to her to come forward, no matter how insignificant you think it may be.' A £100,000 reward, sanctioned by Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw, remains on offer for anyone with information that leads to the prosecution of her killer or killers, or assists in the recovery of Charlene's body.

The investigation has generated more than 16,000 lines of inquiry over the past 23 years, with almost 7,000 statements taken and more than 7,500 exhibits recorded. Charlene was last seen on a Saturday night at the end of an alleyway on Abingdon Street after meeting a friend on North Pier, but there was no CCTV evidence in that area.

Charlen's case has become linked to the grooming gangs scandal in Blackpool, with police believing she was one of several girls in the town being sexually exploited. Police brought two trials to court, including a retrial, but no one has ever been convicted of her murder. The Independent Police Complaints Commission investigated Lancashire Police in 2009, concluding that the way evidence was gathered played a key part in the retrial's collapse.

How it is being reported

• Blackpool Police offer £100k reward to catch Charlene Downes' killer on 23rd anniversary of her disappearanceThe disappearance of 14-year-old Charlene is a case which has cast a shadow over Blackpool for more than two decades.Blackpool Gazette · 1 Nov, 15:46
• Search for Charlene Downes 'not stopped' 23 years on as police offer £100,000 rewardThe search for Charlene is Lancashire Police’s longest unsolved murder investigation and active caseLancsLive · 1 Nov, 15:45
• Police renew appeal 23 years after Blackpool child Charlene Downes vanishedPolice have renewed their appeal for information on the 23rd anniversary of the disappearance of Charlene Downes in BlackpoolLancashire Telegraph · 1 Nov, 13:44

In this story: Charlene Downes · Lancashire Police · Blackpool · Clive Grunshaw

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