BBC apologises to mum of dead schoolgirl after Martin Bashir took’ clothes

The BBC is making an attempt to find the clothes (Image: Getty/PA)

The BBC has apologised to the mom of a murdered schoolgirl after Martin Bashir allegedly took the sufferer’s faculty garments and by no means returned them.

Michelle Hadaway says Bashir obtained the garments for DNA testing for BBC Two’s Public Eye programme 30 years in the past, however the investigation didn’t air and her calls to the broadcaster have been ignored.

Ms Hadaway’s daughter Karen and her pal Nicola Fellows have been discovered sexually assaulted and strangled in a woodland den in Brighton in October 1986 in what turned referred to as the Babes within the Wooden murders.

The households of the 2 women spent many years preventing for justice after their killer, Russell Bishop, was initially discovered not responsible of their murders in 1987.

Ms Hadaway beforehand stated Bashir got here to her in 1991 and requested to have her daughter’s clothes DNA examined, saying that science had superior within the 5 years for the reason that murders, however by no means returned the garments.

In response to an investigation by the Mail on Sunday, the BBC investigations unit in 2004 didn’t make contact with key people who might need recognized the place the clothes was, together with the households of the victims, journalists who labored on the Babes In The Wooden documentary and Bashir himself.

Martin Bashir had obtained the garments for DNA testing (Image: Rex)

The BBC dismissed these claims as ‘incorrect’, however stated it was conducting a overview of the case in a contemporary bid to attempt to find the clothes.

A BBC spokesperson stated: ‘It’s incorrect to counsel that in 2004 the BBC investigations unit didn’t make contact with people who might need recognized the place the clothes was.

‘Information present that (Public Eye editor) Nigel Chapman and a person who will be recognized as (assistant producer) Charlie Beckett have been contacted throughout the 2004 investigation.

‘Martin Bashir was contacted via his agent, who told us that Martin was unable to assist with the whereabouts of the clothes. Eileen Fairweather had left the employment of Public Eye before the clothing went missing.’

Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows have been simply 9 when their our bodies have been present in bushes (Image: PA)

The broadcaster additionally issued an apology to Ms Hadaway, including it was ‘appalled’ that the clothes had been misplaced.

‘The BBC is extremely sorry for the distress this has caused Ms Hadaway and we deeply regret we have not been able to give her any answers about what happened,’ a spokesperson added.

‘We’re appalled that this clothes was misplaced after being obtained as a part of an investigation for a BBC programme.

‘We will continue to follow up any new information we receive about the whereabouts of the clothing. We will of course discuss any of this matter with Ms Hadaway if and when she wishes to do so.’

The Dyson inquiry concluded with a blistering report from Lord Dyson which criticised the strategies utilized by Bashir to acquire his incendiary 1995 interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Metropolitan Police not too long ago introduced it might not launch a felony investigation into the interview.

BBC director-general Tim Davie is because of seem earlier than the Digital, Tradition, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday.