Senior police officer apologises to George Heron, who was wrongly charged with murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan

And a court will hear of the impact the false accusation has had on the life of innocent George Heron when the seven-year-old’s true killer is finally sentenced next week.

Nikki vanished while walking home from her grandparents’ flat in West Garth, Hendon, on October 7, 1992. Her body was discovered the next day in the basement of the then-derelict Quayside Exchange in High Street East. She had been stabbed 37 times.

Neighbour George Heron was charged with murder but a trial at Leeds Crown Court in November, 1993 collapsed when a judge ruled detectives had used heavy-handed interview techniques and refused to allow jurors to hear a taped confession.

Personal letter of apology

Northumbria Police said officers were not looking for anyone else in relation to Nikki’s murder.

But a new forensic team was set up to examine the case in 2017 – and 55-year-old sex offender David Boyd was finally convicted of murder at Newcastle Crown Court om Friday, May 12.

At a press conference held today, Wednesday, May 17, at the force’s headquarters in Wallsend’s Middle Engine Lane, Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Simpson told reporters: “I have written a personal letter of apology to George on behalf of Northumbria Police for the way he was treated in the 1992 investigation but also for the impact on his life since then and he has asked us to share a copy of that letter,” he said.

It was also revealed Mr Heron has produced a victim’s impact statement that will be read to the court when Boyd is sentenced next Tuesday, May 23.

Mr Simpson's letter states: "I have had the opportunity to read your victim's impact statement and appreciate the effects of your arrest, charge and trial had on you and continue to have.

"On behalf of Northumbria Police, I would like to apologise for the mistakes that were made in the investigation and I hope, as you express in your statement, that the conviction of Mr Boyd will finally bring closure on this matter for you and allow you to move on with your life."

Detective Chief Superintendent Lisa Theaker, who led the new investigation which culminated in Boyd's conviction said the force accepted the original case had been mishandled: "It's been well publicised that the interviews that were conducted back in the day were oppressive and some of the evidence was misrepresented and, therefore, George Heron confessed and we know the judge excluded that confession.

"On a national scale, the way we interview people has changed massively."

Killer acted alone

The interviews with Boyd had been planned ‘with absolute precision’ to avoid repeating past mistakes, she said.

Nikki’s mum Sharon Henderson has said she believes Boyd did not act alone but Ms Theaker said detectives were certain no-one else had been involved.

“I can confirm the only person responsible for Nikki Allan’s death was David Boyd,” she said.

"Once sentencing is done, we will sit down with Sharon and rest of the family. They will have a load of questions, naturally. We will try to answer them and hopefully give them some reassurance there is nobody else involved.”