FAMILY-members of murdered Halliwell victims have backed the detective who lost his job over the botched investigation.

They said rules governing police arrests and interviews, which Det Supt Steve Fulcher allegedly broke by driving Halliwell to the burial site of his victim, should be improved to ease confusion for officers.

Police arrested Swindon serial killer Christopher Halliwell at the Orbital Centre on Thursday, March 24, 2011, and asked where he was keeping kidnap victim Sian O’Callaghan.

Det Supt Steve Fulcher, who led the kidnap and subsequent murder, ordered officers to drive Halliwell to Barbury Castle, near which he believed Sian was being held.

In doing so, he broke the letter of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. The rules, called PACE, say suspects should be taken to a police station and offered access to a solicitor when they are arrested and read their rights.

Christopher Halliwell

Officers are allowed to ask kidnap suspects key questions to help find a victim without a lawyer present.

But by driving Halliwell around the Wiltshire and Oxfordshire countryside, during which Halliwell confessed to the kidnap of Sian and murder of Becky Godden-Edwards, critics said Mr Fulcher “drove a coach and horses” through PACE rules.

The confessions were ruled inadmissible at Halliwell’s murder trial in 2012 and led the Independent Police Complaints Commission to accuse him of gross misconduct.

In flagship ITV show To Catch a Serial Killer on Thursday evening, Mr Fulcher defended his actions: “There were no other operational options available to me. There were none.

Becky Godden Edwards. Becky Godden Edwards.

Victim Becky Godden-Edwards

“It’s a crime in action. It’s a kidnap and a girl’s life is at stake. All I could do was plead with him, plead with him for her life.”

Other police officers had questioned his decision to drive Halliwell out to Barbury Castle, he told ITV. But Mr Fulcher had warned the officers: “Don’t get wobbly on me.”

Sebastian Gardiner, a defence barrister, said: I have a lot of sympathy for Det Supt Fulcher, I can understand why he did what he did, but this is a bungled enquiry.

“This is an experienced police officer who chose deliberately…to drive a coach and horses through police procedure.”

Members of the girls’ families backed Fulcher and called for greater clarity around PACE rules.

Christopher Halliwell appears at court in 2011 amid angry protests.

Charlie Edwards, Becky’s stepfather, told ITV: “Fulcher crossed the line, which he shouldn’t have done. But I feel the line shouldn’t be there.”

Sian’s brother, Liam O’Callaghan, said rules should be improved so there was less ambiguity around what police could and couldn’t do.

Mum Elaine Pickford added: “Morally, I don’t think there’s any question over Steve doing what I think any family member would want a police officer to do for them their family. But at the same time, I could also understand the legal ramifications of it as well.”

Christopher Halliwell is currently serving two life sentences for murder. After his conviction at Bristol Crown Court in 2016 he is unlikely to ever be released from prison.