Alex Bendall death: Family criticises 'insensitive' police response

Alex Bendall was reported missing in February

A bereaved family has criticised a police investigation and claimed an officer described the body of their teenager as "bones in boots".

Alex Bendall, 18, who was also known as Alice, was found dead in a river near Dorchester, Dorset, weeks after going missing on a walk home.

The teenager's parents said the actions of a minority of officers were "jaw-droppingly" insensitive.

Dorset Police said it was investigating the complaints.

Alex had been missing for 70 days before a body was discovered in the River Frome by a dog walker on 22 April.

The Bendall family had requested to be notified by telephone should a body be discovered - to allow them to gather and share a moment in private, before the inevitably traumatic formalities that would follow.

In the event, a series of texts were sent by police instead, asking for a meeting, but not explaining why.

The family of Alex (left) said their neighbour heard the news before they did

The family missed them at first and officers later turned up on the family's doorstep to break the news a body had been found.

Alex's mother Vicky Bendall said: "I cannot describe the shock I felt, because for 70 days, in my head, I'd been waiting for a phone call."

Alex's sister Mary, 17, said: "This officer informed me that they had found 'bones in boots', which obviously, I thought I wasn't hearing right."

She said he then told her: "We don't think they're animal bones."

Mary said she has had trouble sleeping since the encounter.

"I now have this image of a skeletonised sister," she said.

Alex's sister Mary says she has not been able to sleep properly since the encounter with police

Alex's father Paul Bendall said the manner in which they were informed of the body find was "damaging" and has left them "unable to grieve".

He said the lack of a phone call meant a number of the family's friends and neighbours knew before they did, as news of police activity quickly spread through the community.

The family has put in a complaint to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), after initially complaining to Dorset Police directly.

In a statement Dorset Police conveyed its "deepest sympathies" to Alex's family.

"Dorset Police has and continues to investigate concerns raised, following the missing person investigation," the statement said.

"This investigation into the complaints is currently ongoing and being overseen by our Professional Standards Team. It would therefore not be appropriate to comment at this time."

The IOPC said the family had the right to lodge a complaint if they were not satisfied with the outcome of Dorset Police's investigation into the claims.

Vicky and Paul Bendall said they felt 'failed' by police on the day Alex's body was found

The family has also revealed to the BBC existence of evidence that Alex may have been sexually assaulted at the age of 13, which they have passed to police.

After Alex went missing, the Bendalls discovered mentions of an attack in the teenager's diaries, and found out Alex had confided in a friend about being "raped".

Mrs Bendall said: "We want the Dorset Police to show us they are willing at least to explore the possibility that Alice was raped, given the fact there is evidence suggesting that."

Dorset Police said: "Officers were able to obtain information from a personal journal that Alex may have been a victim of abuse five or six years earlier.

"This was never reported to police and dates, times and locations are unclear.

"However, police instigated the formal report of the allegations of historic abuse and disclosed our findings to the family."

A separate complex investigation into the findings has now been launched, which Dorset Police said was ongoing.

The scope and date of a future inquest into Alex's death is yet to be decided.