CHESHIRE Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have hit back after the man at the centre of an investigation into child cruelty and deception branded it 'a farce'.

Iain Stead, 44, and his wife Jean, 43, of Ollershaw Lane, Marston, appeared at Warrington Crown Court charged with obtaining money by deception and cruelty to children but the trial collapsed after only four weeks when key witnesses failed to back the case put by the CPS.

Andrew Street, 42, of Mobberley Road, Knutsford, and Beryl Roberts, 54, of Weaste Lane, Thelwall, were also accused of deception at the trial.

The four people were all directors of the Winterley project, which ran small care homes across Cheshire for difficult children.

As reported in the Guardian last week, Mr Stead claimed that the project was doing good work and making progress when it became the subject of a lengthy and costly investigation.

A joint statement from Cheshire Constabulary and the CPS states: "The issue was allegations centred on the un-regulated care of some of the most vulnerable children in society and was rightly and properly investigated.

"After the closure of the Winterley Project, the law changed to regulate such services.

"The police investigation resulted in four directors of this company going on trial for 24 offences including child cruelty and criminal deception.

"This would not have happened had the investigation been flawed.

"The judge accepted no criticism of any party in bringing the case."