A Blackburn man was found guilty of malicious communications after pursuing a BBC journalist with a series of sexually explicit phone calls, two years after the original report was made, the broadcaster has said.

Amjad Khan, 48, repeatedly called reporter Lucy Manning in October 2022 where he used obscene and lewd comments about both himself and her.

Recording their conversation, Lucy took the issue to the Metropolitan Police and handed over the tape.

However, the police were slow to react and even dropped the case, only reopening it after a Victim’s Right to Review was carried out.

Two months after the incident the police were able to track down the person connected to it – Khan, of Derham Street, Blackburn.

Lancashire Police took over the case, and despite supporting the prosecution Lucy heard no response from the force.

Finally, they only offered a voluntary interview and considered there to be no necessity to arrest, which Lucy argued could be a “gateway crime” to more serious offences.

They eventually arrested Khan, but he denied making the call and said he’d lost his phone, and despite thinking he was lying, he was bailed on the condition he didn’t contact her.

Concerns rose, especially considering that the police had probably alerted the suspect with their visits to his house, and without a phone, they couldn’t make an arrest.

Admitting that there might have been a need for an arrest, the officer dealing with the case ensured that there was still a prospect of charging the man.

She explained her experience so far had been entirely unsatisfactory.

The officer said: “I can totally understand and sympathise with that. All I can do is apologise on behalf of Lancashire Constabulary.”

In April 2023, the suspect was found to be lying and new checks on his phone found it was used to make the call but using a different SIM card, and he was to be rearrested as he had made multiple calls.

Finally, Khan was charged and pleaded not guilty at Blackburn Magistrates' Court in February this year.

Having not turned up originally to his case on November 5, the case was listed at Burnley Magistrates for November 11, a fact Lucy only found out thanks to a call with the Witness Care Unit for an update.

Lucy wrote in her piece on the BBC: “Despite my process taking more than two years, I am pleased I pushed so hard to get this man convicted - again, it turns out.

“Some women I've interviewed who have reported more serious sexual offences say they wish they had never done so because the process was so brutal.

“I don’t regret reporting it.

“But I’m dismayed that it was such a monumental effort and wonder how many other men committing crimes go unpunished because of the inefficiency, the failures and the delays.

“Getting justice shouldn’t be this hard and getting justice shouldn’t be the victim’s struggle.”

It will be another two months until he will be sentenced.

Lancashire Police told the BBC: “Our initial handling of this case did not meet the standard expected but following a review and further contact with the victim a man was arrested, charged and convicted.

“We hope that the successful conviction gives her some sense that justice has been done, although we recognise this has taken longer than she may have hoped."