THE Burnley sister of a former paratrooper who died in police custody has won the latest round in her fight for compensation from the Crown Prosecution Service.

Janet Alder who claims the racist attitude of the Crown Prosecution Service led to her having a "devastating" mental breakdown.

Ms Alder, of Constable Avenue, Rosehill, argues she was "belittled" by the CPS as they pieced together a case against five police officers who later stood trial for the alleged manslaughter of her brother, Christopher Alder.

Mr Alder, an ex-paratrooper and Falklands veteran, 37, died in the custody suite of Hull's Queen's Garden police station on April 1, 1998.

An inquest jury returned an "unlawful killing" verdict, but the five officers were all acquitted when a judge at Hull Crown Court said they had no case to answer.

Now, however, Ms Alder is suing the CPS for substantial damages, claiming they failed to respond to her concerns about the way in which the case was put against the cleared officers - and did so because of her colour.

Lord Justice Sedley told the Appeal Court that Mr Alder had died in "distressing and still contentious circum-stances" and it was right that his sister should now be able to pursue her compensation claim in full.

He told the court: "Her claim against the CPS is, in summary, that the way it went about its work as a prosecuting authority was racially discriminatory, because its officials repeatedly ignored her legitimate concerns and treated her with a combination of rudeness and indifference."

He added: "The essence of Ms Alder's case is that, if she and her brother had been white, she would not have been treated in the way she describes, and that she suffered both in her dignity and in her earnings in consequence."

Ms Alder's compensation claim against the CPS will now go ahead to a full hearing, a date for which has yet to be set.