A JOURNALIST from Prestwich is celebrating victory with the successful conclusion of his six-year crusade to free a man wrongly convicted of murder.

Don Hale spearheaded the campaign for justice for Stephen Downing who spent 27 years in prison after being convicted of killing typist Wendy Sewell in the Peak District town of Bakewell in 1973.

But on Tuesday (Jan 15), the Court of Appeal in London overturned 45-year-old Mr Downing's conviction. He could get compensation of up to £8 million.

The court said it couldn't be sure the man's original confessions were reliable and, therefore, it followed that the conviction was unsafe.

Their decision came after it was disclosed police officers who initially questioned Downing before he confessed had committed "substantial and significant" breaches of the rules on interrogating suspects. Although welcoming the decision to overturn the conviction, Mr Hale was disappointed the judges had not ruled that Mr Downing was innocent.

"I think they could have been more positive on that and come out and said he could not have done it."

Mr Hale added: "I think we achieved what we set out to achieve, but there is still an explanation needed as to what really happened in 1973. The real killer is still out there."

He now wants Derbyshire police to re-open the case.

It was the Prestwich man's years of painstaking investigative work which helped provide much of the new evidence which led to this week's decision.

Mr Hale has received numerous journalism awards in tribute to his campaigning.

He began his own inquiries into the case more than six years ago when he was editor of the Matlock Mercury, located just a few miles from Bakewell.

During his inquiries, Mr Hale said he discovered the entire case against the convicted man was "a catalogue of bundled evidence and cover-ups".

Mr Hale's persistent inquiries led to intimidation and death threats and two hit-and-run attempts on his life.

The journalist, former editor of the Bury Messenger whose late parents lived in Lime Grove, Prestwich, generated massive national and international publicity with his campaign.

And his involvement in the Downing case could be turned into a Hollywood blockbuster with several film studios apparently interested in the story.

Last November, his efforts were instrumental in the Criminal Case Review Commission agreeing to an Appeal Court hearing.