Caroline Flack: Met Police to re-examine decision to charge TV star

The Metropolitan Police says it will partly reinvestigate what made it decide to charge TV presenter Caroline Flack as "new witness evidence may be available".

The TV star was facing prosecution for assaulting her boyfriend when she killed herself in February 2020.

The Crown Prosecution Service had said Flack should get only a caution - but the Met appealed and she was charged.

Ms Flack's mother has repeatedly criticised how police handled the case.

Christine Flack told Thursday's Daily Mirror that she had made a fresh complaint to the Met because the family have been left with "important unanswered questions".

Her daughter was known for presenting roles including on Love Island when she was arrested for allegedly assaulting her then-boyfriend, Lewis Burton, in December 2019.

Following her arrest, the CPS initially decided that Ms Flack, 40, should receive only a caution - but a senior Met officer appealed and instead she faced a charge of assault by beating.

A coroner later ruled the presenter killed herself because she knew she was facing prosecution and feared the publicity a trial would attract.

Following her death, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) - which investigates complaints against the police - carried out a review of the Met's decision to charge her. It did not find any misconduct.

However, the IOPC did ask the Met to apologise to Ms Flack's family about not recording the reason it appealed against the original CPS decision. In February last year, the force did apologise - but Ms Flack's mother told the BBC she rejected it.

On Thursday, the Met confirmed a new complaint was made by Ms Flack's family last week, which was then referred to the IOPC.

"The IOPC decided the majority of the matters had previously been dealt with and no further action was required," the Met said in a statement to the PA news agency.

"The IOPC returned one aspect of the complaint back to the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) to consider further.

"This relates to the actions of officers in appealing an initial decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to charge Ms Flack, and because new witness evidence may be available.

"DPS officers are now making further enquiries in relation to this."

An IOPC spokesperson also issued a statement, telling the BBC: "On the basis there may be new witness evidence available, we returned one aspect of the complaint back to the Met to investigate."

Christine Flack told the Mirror that she made the complaint to try to "compel" the officer who was at her arrest "to give the statement we think he should have given four years ago".

"We won't stop until we get the truth," she said.

The Met has previously said Ms Flack's arrest was handled appropriately.

A festival honouring Ms Flack will return for a third year this summer and will be headlined by singer Olly Murs. Flackstock takes place in the grounds of Englefield House in Berkshire.