'Lessons learnt' in Nickell case

The Metropolitan Police has apologised for its mistakes in the investigation of the murder of young mother Rachel Nickell 16 years ago.

But as families of Napper's victims spoke of their anguish over the missed opportunities to catch him, the force refused to be drawn on whether a further inquiry would be held in the wake of his guilty plea, saying only that inquiries had already been carried out.

"A number of reviews have taken place already," said a spokesman. "Homicide investigations have changed significantly since 1992 and we've learnt from these reviews."

Napper pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to Miss Nickell's manslaughter on the grounds of his diminished responsibility and was ordered to be detained in Broadmoor indefinitely.

He could have been caught as far back as 1989 when his mother said he had confessed to a sex attack. But police could not trace the crime and did not interview him or collect his DNA. He went on to commit at least four more sex attacks before launching a brutal sex attack on Miss Nickell in which she was stabbed 49 times on Wimbledon Common in July 1992.

Napper was questioned in December 1995 about Miss Nickell's killing, but denied involvement. He had been sent to Broadmoor secure hospital two months earlier for raping and killing Samantha Bissett, 27, and her four-year-old daughter Jazmine in Plumstead, south London, in November 1993.

Andre Hanscombe, the partner of Rachel Nickell, described the police's "catalogue of errors with extremely tragic consequences" that cost other victims their lives."

"Now we have to accept the possibility that what happened to Rachel could have been avoided as well," he told the Daily Mail.

Jack Morrison, the stepfather of Samantha Bisset, said Samantha and her daughter could still be alive if police had investigated Napper at an earlier stage.