‘She’s right, how could anyone be OK?’: Christopher Alder’s sister reacts to Line Of Duty storyline

The sister of Christopher Alder, who was unlawfully killed in police custody in Hull 23 years ago, has welcomed his case emerging as one of the main story lines in the top TV drama series Line Of Duty.

The award-winning police show merged the real-life cases of Christopher Alder and Stephen Lawrence in last night’s episode, creating the fictional victim Lawrence Christopher.

In the programme, Lawrence Christopher was attacked by a gang of white youths and died in custody while being mocked by officers making monkey noises. His case, which was explained by the officer Chloe Bishop, was notable for the striking parallels it made with the two real-life cases.

It was also swiftly condemned by both Chloe and Ted Hastings, who leads the Line Of Duty anti-corruption unit AC-12.

Chloe says: “Custody suite video shows officers mocking Christopher while he lay unresponsive in his cell.”

“A disgrace to the uniform, every single one of them,” Superintendent Hastings replies.

Their colleague, Steve Arnott, who is also in the scene, is seen looking shocked and angry.

He then apologises to Chloe for having to “dredge all that up” and asks if she is OK.

She pauses, and then replies: “Custody officers were laughing and making monkey noises while Christopher lay dying. They were all cleared of misconduct, took early retirement for stress, and claimed tens of thousands in compensation on top of their pension.”

Gasping, then shaking her head, she asks: “How could anyone be OK?”

Christopher Alder’s sister Janet Alder, who is still campaigning for justice for her brother, described the scene as “absolutely brilliant”.

She told The Hull Story: “She’s right - how could anybody be OK? How can that be OK?

“I’m just so glad it’s still in the public eye, and something needs to be done about it because it’s never going to go away.

“This is an example of the state showing the police can get away with it, and we can’t be having it. Those responsible need to be held to account. This is just part of what’s been going on for 23 years and still there’s no closure.”

VICTIM: Christopher Alder

Christopher Alder, a former paratrooper, was 37 when he died on the floor of the custody suite at Queens Gardens police station on April 1, 1998. An inquest found he was unlawfully killed.

He had choked to death while handcuffed with his trousers around his ankles.

In November 2011 it emerged that the wrong body had been buried in his grave.

In March 2018, two Humberside Police officers were cleared of gross misconduct after spying on Janet at her brother’s inquest in July 2000.

Stephen Lawrence was 18 when he was stabbed and killed in a racially motivated attack by a gang of white youths in Eltham, London, on April 22, 1993.