Gaia Pope: Dorset Police officer admits altering search records

A police officer has admitted retrospectively altering search records relating to the hunt for missing teenager Gaia Pope, an inquest heard.

PC David Taylor said he inserted additional information into Dorset Police's search logs up to a month after the 19-year-old was found dead.

He apologised and said his intention was to produce "a clear report of what was going on".

Miss Pope's body was discovered in Swanage, Dorset, in 2017.

The teenager, who died of hypothermia, was found 11 days after Dorset Police launched a major search operation.

Gaia Pope's body was found 11 days after she went missing in November 2017

Dorset Coroner's Court heard eight separate logs had been created by police officers between 9 November and 17 November to record information relating to the search.

The information was written into Microsoft Word documents and then uploaded to the computer system.

But the changes made by PC Taylor, who was the deputy police search co-ordinator, only came to light after the inquest into the death of Miss Pope had started.

He apologised to the teenager's family for any "confusion or upset" caused by his actions.

"At the time I felt I was writing a report and including notes and details about what I knew at the time," he said, adding : "I do not believe anything in there would have changed the decisions made at the time."

'It was wrong'

Sarah Clarke QC, counsel for the inquest, suggested to the officer that he had "beefed up" the log because he knew there would be an inquest before a coroner.

PC Taylor said he wanted to bring all the information together.

"I can understand why the inference would be drawn now," he said.

"In hindsight, would I do the same again? Absolutely not. It was wrong. It doesn't look great, and I apologise for that."

The inquest continues.