Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell, who is now leading the historic abuse inquiry, and Deputy Chief Officer David Warcup at yesterday morning’s press conference. (Picture by Matthew Hotton, 0600720)

POLICE CHIEF Graham Power was yesterday suspended over the handling of Jersey’s multi-million-pound historic child abuse inquiry.

The move followed an independent review of the investigation by the Metropolitan Police that demolished evidence of murders at Haut de la Garenne.

Home Affairs minister Andrew Lewis had requested the review took over political responsibility in June .

‘It is evident that we didn’t receive all the information about the historic abuse inquiry that we should have received and that some aspects of this critically important police investigation have not been conducted properly. We are determined to find out why this happened and who was responsible,’ said Deputy Lewis.

Jersey Police yesterday called a press conference at which it said there was no evidence of murder at the former home.

‘While we welcome the conclusion of the police that there was no evidence of any murders having taken place, we need to understand, and will establish, why this was not made apparent earlier on in the investigation,’ said Deputy Lewis.

The development sparked anger among the national media, who demanded to know how they had been so misled.

And Mr Power went to BBC Jersey to announce that he had been suspended.

He had met Deputy Lewis and the chief executive of the Jersey States late in the morning to be given the news.

No time frame has been put on disciplinary procedures.

Mr Power made it clear on ITV last night that he would fight them.

He said he had turned down the chance to go quietly although well past normal retirement age and, he said, the suspension was not ‘evidentially based’.

Former deputy chief officer Lenny Harper, who led the inquiry until his recent retirement, yesterday insisted that what he had said in the summer had been represented.

But in July he appeared unequivocal that the remains of ‘five or six children’ had been found at the home.

• Additional reports appear in today’s Guernsey Press