Police probe into handling of Pendle teen’s death

The former Colne Primet High School pupil’s body was found in an established grave in a cemetery in Didcot, Oxfordshire, in December and her ex-boyfriend, Ben Blakeley, from Reading, has been charged with her murder.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is examining how Thames Valley Police dealt with the initial missing person’s report lodged after Jayden was last seen Jayden disappeared on December 3rd, leaving Didcot railway station.

IPCC Associate Commissioner Guido Liguori said: “Our investigation is examining the response of Thames Valley Police to the missing person’s report, and whether the individual and collective decisions made by police officers or staff and the related actions were appropriate and proportionate in the circumstances.”

Jayden’s body was found on December 18th and police have now confirmed she died from “pressure to the neck” after an initial post-mortem examination by a Home Office pathologist proved inconclusive, Her funeral was held last month near her former home town of Folkestone.

Blakeley and a 17-year-old boy from Didcot have also been charged with perverting the course of justice. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is also accused of helping in the disposal of Jayden’s body and other evidence. A 48-year-old woman from Didcot was arrested on February 25th on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.