Town Hall and police clashed over repairs to home where bodies were cut up

SCOTLAND Yard left the Town Hall with the bill to refurbish the home of serial killer Anthony Hardy after detectives stripped his blood-stained flat from ceiling to floor looking for murder clues.
Documents, unearthed by the New Journal under the new Freedom of Information Act, show police insurers were adamant that Scotland Yard would not pay for the flat on the College Place estate in Camden Town to be repaired.
Forensic experts took the ground-floor home to pieces in January 2003 as they found damning evidence that Hardy – dubbed the Camden Ripper – had cut up the bodies of two of his vice girl victims inside the flat.
Hardy, 55, was later jailed for life for three murders.
Upset neighbours had wanted the flat to be demolished but a petition campaign failed to convince council chiefs.
Instead, the secret papers show, housing bosses pressed ahead with re-letting the flat amid controversy and intense media interest.
In an email sent between housing staff and press officials, it is warned that Evening Standard journalists had tried to force their way into the flat after refurbishment.
Housing officials advised that prospective tenants of the flat should keep companions to a minimum and bring valid ID.
At the time, with neighbours not wanting the repairs to be done at all, the New Journal inquired how much the work would cost. Camden insisted the extensive repair job cost around £20,000.
But fresh doubt can now be placed on the figure, with the discovery of a message between housing staff, responding to the press inquiry, which said: “The lower the figure, the better.”
Meanwhile, in a private letter from police claims officers, the Town Hall was told it could expect no compensation from them.
It said: “In this case a thorough forensic examination was a vital ingredient of that investigation and such action was fully justified and lawful.
“Unfortunately, the extensive examination of the property rendered the premises a hazard under Health and Safety Regulations.”
The letter added: “Given the circumstances it is clear police acted correctly and lawfully in taking the action they did in investigating this crime and, on occasions, inevitably that involved the sort of forensic examination involved in this case.
“In the absence of any evidence of negligence, there are no grounds on which we could justify making a compensatory payment to you from public funds. We are sorry we cannot let you have a more favourable reply.”
All of the fixtures and fittings in the flat were replaced and the flat has now been re-let.