FIVE police officers are to face charges in connection with a man's death in custody - more than a year after his sister began campaigning for a full investigation into the case.

Janet Alder, from the Manchester Road area of Burnley, has urged action over the death of her brother Christopher Alder, 38. He died in the charge room at Hull's central police station in April 1998.

A month after his death five officers were suspended pending an investigation ordered by the Police Complaints Authority.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said today: "A decision has been made by the Crown Prosecution Service that the five suspended officers will be charged shortly with an offence of misconduct in a public office, which is a Common Law offence, as a result of the investigation into Mr Alder's death.

"It is inappropriate for Humberside Police to make any further comment about this matter."

Mr Alder, a former paratrooper of Dagger Lane, Hull, was arrested for breach of the peace at Hull Royal Infirmary where he was being treated for injuries he received in an earlier incident outside a club. He died in the early hours of April 1 last year at the city's Queens Gardens police station. A post mortem examination failed to establish a cause of death.

An inquest has not yet been held.

Since then, his sister Janet has been fighting for a full inquiry into the matter.

Her campaign included handing a 450-name petition to Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw.

At the time she pledged: "I'm going to cause a stink until I find out the truth."

Today, she was said to be pleased with the move and hoped it would lead to the full facts of the case being revealed.

She was backed by Neville Lawrence, the father of murdered London teenager Stephen Lawrence.

A group called the Justice for Christopher Alder Campaign, was also set up.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.