Hunt for Natasha hampered by 'lie'

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The body of Natasha Coombs, 17, of Dovercourt, Essex, was found close to Manningtree railway station on August 10 2007 - two weeks after she was last seen boarding a train at nearby Ipswich, Suffolk.

Post mortem examination tests showed she had been struck by a train after walking alongside train tracks.

An inquiry was launched by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) after criticism from Natasha's father, insurance company manager Gary Coombs.

Mr Coombs alleged the delay in finding his daughter's body contributed to his wife, 41-year-old Joanne, committing suicide at the same location two months later.

The IPCC has upheld four of his 11 complaints - and revealed the probe had been impeded at an early stage by a British Transport Police (BTP) communications officer.

The report said the employee admitted misleading an Essex police officer into thinking that trains were fitted with sensors that would have detected any collision. This deflected the search for Natasha - despite intelligence that suggested "railway lines needed to be searched".

"The communications officer admitted he lied to an Essex police officer, initially telling IPCC officers that he did so to end the call, which would allow him to get on with his job, and that he actually had no knowledge of train sensors," the report said.

In the wake of the report, both forces involved in the investigation apologised. Assistant Chief Constable Derek Benson, of Essex Police, said: "Essex Police is sorry for the delay in finding Natasha and accepts that mistakes were made."

A BTP spokeswoman said: "BTP has apologised to Mr Coombs for our failings in supporting Essex Police's investigation into the disappearance of his daughter, Natasha, and the subsequent death of his wife, Joanne."