AN independent investigation has been launched into claims the sister of an ex-paratrooper who died in police custody was placed under ‘improper surveillance’.

Janet Alder, formerly of Burnley, has waged a 15-year battle to find out the truth about what happened at Hull police station on April 1, 1998, when her brother, Christopher, 37, died.

Now, Humberside Police has referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) after a review uncovered evidence to suggest the force had been spying on Ms Alder and one other unnamed party during Christopher’s inquest in 2000.

Speaking to a national newspaper, Ms Alder said: “I had plain clothes officers following me around shops and on one occasion, I left out of the back door of a solicitors’ office because I thought I was being followed.

“I also had mail that went missing. They characterised me as being paranoid and over-dramatising things.

“This evidence only confirms what I always believed. I want to know why they were doing it and on whose authority.”

While living in Burnley, Ms Alder enlisted the help of former Labour MP Peter Pike who raised the issue with the former Police Complaints Authority.

An IPCC spokesman said: “The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating potential improper surveillance of the sister of Christopher Alder, who died in custody in Hull in 1998, and another person.

“This follows a referral by Humberside Police, following a request from the Home Secretary that all police forces check their records for evidence of surveillance relating to the investigation into the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence and the Macpherson Inquiry into his death.

“Humberside Police did not discover any such evidence but their searches revealed evidence of surveillance into Ms Alder and another person. The IPCC will be carrying out an independent investigation into these allegations.

“The IPCC has contacted Ms Alder and the other party to offer a meeting to discuss the investigation, which will be overseen by the IPCC’s commissioner for Humberside, Cindy Butts.”