SINCE Christopher Alder's death in a Hull police station six years ago, his sister Janet has dedicated her life to finding out the truth about what happened.
In the week that shocking CCTV images of Christopher's last moments fighting for life were shown publicly for the first time, reporter NICK EVANS talks to Janet about her brother's death and her ongoing fight for justice. . .
THE tragic train of events that led to Christopher Alder's death began outside Hull's Waterfront nightclub in the early hours of April 1, 1998, when he was knocked to the floor during a late-night scuffle.
Police officers were called to interview him at Hull Royal Infirmary as a victim of the fight but he was arrested when he became aggressive.
Later it was thought this could possibly have been as a result of the head injury he had sustained earlier.
He was handcuffed and put in the back of a police van - the last time anyone other than the police would see him conscious.
When he arrived at Queen's Garden police station five minutes later, CCTV footage showed him being dragged unconscious into the custody suite by officers and left face down on the floor.
He laid there motionless for 11 minutes - choking to death.
His sister insists that police did nothing to help or save Christopher, 37, a former paratrooper who served in Northern Ireland, who died where he lay, with his trousers round his ankles.
The events of that night and the many unanswered questions surrounding the death have sparked a six-year quest for the truth by Janet Alder, who lives in Burnley.
It is a quest that has seen her life turned upside down but one she says she is determined to see through until she knows exactly what happened to her brother.
The five police officers involved in Christopher's arrest have never given their side of the story, answered questions or been successfully prosecuted, despite an inquest verdict in 2000 that ruled Christopher was unlawfully killed in police custody, a verdict the police failed to overturn in the High Court the following year.
The Crown Prosecution Service agreed to charge the officers with manslaughter in 2001 but conflicting medical evidence meant the case was thrown out of court.
A Police Complaints Authority (PCA) internal disciplinary hearing on charges of neglect of duty carried out last year also found there had been no wrong-doing.
Christopher and Janet, now 42 and a mother-of-two, grew up together in care in their home town of Hull, along with three other brothers.
It was a tough start in life which Janet says brought the family close together.
She said: "Times weren't so good back then and we had to rely on each other for support and love.
"Chris was a year older and he always looked out for me in the home and at school. When we left the children's home we all went our separate ways and Chris joined the army, but we were still close because we were blood.
"After Chris's death I started getting suspicious because there were so many questions left unanswered about what had gone on that night.
"I think even right at the start I made a subconscious decision not to stop until we got to the truth.
"The whole situation was very new to me, of course, and I was really acting purely on instinct and doing what I felt was right.
"Dignity went out of the window because I just wanted to find out what had happened to my brother."
But she admitted: "The last six years have certainly changed me and there have been times when I have felt very down.
"Luckily, I have had the support of close friends who have helped me carry on fighting and to believe in what I am doing.
"I have often felt like I have been walking round in a different world from everyone else.
"Things that matter to other people are not significant to me.
"I have seen something so inhumane that it has made me appreciate the things in life that really matter.
"There is nothing more valuable than human life and Chris's life was not valued as it should have been."
Images showing Christopher's last moments were broadcast this week as part of a BBC documentary, which has now prompted Home Secretary David Blunkett to ask for a full review of the case by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which was this year set up to replace the PCA.
It is a move, however, that has been dismissed by Janet, who says the only way to find out the whole truth is through a public inquiry.
In a statement by the deputy chief constable of Humberside Police, Steve Love, he said: "Christopher Alder's death has been a tragedy.
"Many people have been affected deeply by his passing but none more so than his immediate family.
"In terms of the impact upon the police officers and their families, it is true to say that this has been quite enormous.
"Their lives have been deeply affected.
"All of the officers deeply regret the death of Christopher Alder.
"All have faced a criminal trial and a discipline hearing and all have been acquitted of any wrong-doing.
"Our thoughts continue to go out to Christopher Alder's family especially and all those who have been affected by this tragedy."
A civil prosecution and a hearing in the European Court of Human Rights could now be the next steps towards justice but Janet Alder is still searching for the truth about her brother's death.
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