Libby Squire: Police praise ‘staggering’ public support during investigation

PC Ruth Campion

The officer who co-ordinated the search for Libby Squire has paid tribute to the “staggering” amount of support given by the public.

Libby, a student, at the University of Hull, went missing on Friday, February 1, 2019, triggering the biggest search in the history of Humberside Police.

The 21-year-old’s body was recovered from the Humber Estuary weeks later, on Wednesday, March 20.

Today, Pawel Relowicz, 26, was convicted of Libby’s rape and murder following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court lasting nearly five weeks.

Libby Squire

Following his conviction, PC Ruth Campion, a specialist search advisor at the force, who co-ordinated the efforts to find Libby, reflected on that aspect of the investigation.

She said: “First of all, I want to thank the people of Hull for immediately helping to search for Libby.

“Within hours of sharing the public appeal on Friday, 1 February 2019, we received hundreds of reports from members of the public with information to assist with our investigation.

“We collated all of the known information and possibilities about Libby and the hours leading up to her disappearance, allowing us to formulate a place on where to search. We acted on all reported sightings, including those out of our force area.

“The commitment and sheer determination shown from the people of Hull never went unnoticed.

“We saw many nearby residents assisting in the search, alongside the 50 officers who were deployed to Libby’s last know whereabouts.

“This became a massive team effort, with every member of our force involved in some way.

“At the height of the search, there were over 100 officers deployed to search for Libby at one time, with this including a mix of special constables, new recruits, response officers, neighbourhood officers and PCSOs.

“Over 50 specialist search assets were used on top of the 100 officers, who were deployed to the high risk areas, where we knew Libby had definitely been seen. These specially trained search officers are the best in the business, who are trained exactly for this situation.

“At times, we even had off-duty police officers and staff assisting in every way they could. I know that everyone really took Libby into their hearts and wanted to do anything in their power to try and find her.

“Our specialist search team and the Major Incident Team worked hard in difficult conditions.

“We were met with a staggering amount of support from local residents who not only assisted with our enquiries and joined in the search, but also provided our officers with homemade treats and countless cups of coffee. This really helped to keep our energy and spirits up at such a crucial time.

“Further assistance was provided by the Yorkshire and The Humber Marine and Underwater Search Unit, our Humberside Police dogs, the Humberside Police Hazardous Environment Operation Team, West Yorkshire Police’s Search Team, Lincolnshire Police’s Drone Team, as well as Humberside Fire and Rescue with the Drone Team, K9 Fire Detection and Missing Persons Dog Team, and the Coastguard.

“The National Police Air Service and the Regional CSI Drone Team were also deployed.

“We also called on the assistance of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Humber Pilot Boat Team, after we had a potential sighting of a body in the river.

“They could search from above, below and around to ensure we left no stone unturned.

“We also couldn’t have done this without the help of other partners and businesses, including the volunteer Lowland Rescue Teams, Hull City Council, and F G Adamson & Sons.

“And last, but certainly not least, I want to again personally thank the people of Hull who continuously helped with the search.”