Blackpool paedophile gang murdered teenager Paige Chivers

A man has been found guilty of murdering Blackpool teenager Paige Chivers who went missing in 2007 aged 15.

Robert Ewing, 60, of Kincraig Place, Bispham, was convicted of her murder unanimously at Preston Crown Court.

He was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice by providing false information to the police, along with accomplice Gareth Dewhurst, 46.

Dewhurst was also charged with assisting Ewing with the disposal of Paige's body.

Her body has never been recovered. It is believed she went missing after having a row with her father about money and became a victim of paedophile gangs in the area.

Ewing kept a diary which the prosecution said described his sexual fantasies about Paige.

They will be sentenced on July 28.

In a new case of police bungling, vital days were lost in the search for Paige due to her age being wrongly logged by police as 45 instead of 15. They did not investigate for 12 days.

Her age was not corrected until 7 September 2007 when police started their inquiries into her disappearance.

Lancashire Police accepted the error and voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

After the verdicts were returned, her brother said in a statement: "Paige was a fun loving kid, she was bright and funny.

"She was only a child when our mum passed away in 2007. It was so hard on us all at the time and I would go as far as to say it broke us."

He described Paige as "bonny" and "outgoing" and said they thought she was "just out with mates" when she disappeared, reported the BBC.