A LONG running murder trial costing more than £5 million collapsed with a judge criticising the way police handled the investigation.

The judge found that one senior officer, Det Chief Insp Kenny Caldwell, deliberately withheld vital information and Det Insp Darren Shenton was "grossly negligent" in failing to make sure that material provided by a police informant was passed on. They could now face prosecution.

As a result the murder charge was sensationally thrown out at Preston Crown Court on Monday against 31-year-old Arran Coghlan and five other men, who were accused of the "gangland execution" of small time drug dealer David Barnshaw, aged 32. One of the men also accused was 32-year-old Denis Burgess, from Walkden.

Mr Barnshaw was burned to death in a car at Stockport after he had possibly been forced to swallow petrol. He and a friend were abducted from outside the Moss Rose pub in September 1999.

The prosecution had claimed that he was murdered for defying Coghlan, who, allegedly, controlled the drug trade in the area, and ruled his empire with ruthless violence. The jury was told that 32-year-old Barnshaw's murder was the ultimate punishment, and a warning to others.

Mr Justice Penry-Davey ordered that the matter should be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions after the seven month trial came to an end.

Mr Coghlan now plans to sue Greater Manchester Police.

The judge said that in the period up to the end of 1999 vital information on the case was not getting through to the murder incident room. Some months after the killing Det Insp Shenton, who worked for a department which managed informants, sent a letter to the murder incident room mentioning certain details, but not referring to others, thinking that the details had already filtered through.

He found that either DI Shenton was not telling the truth in saying that intelligence was being passed or, at least, was grossly negligent in failing to take steps to ensure information was passed on.

The judge also levelled criticism at Chief Inspector Caldwell, a DCI at the time and who admitted in his evidence that he is under investigation for possible corruption.

He found that CI Caldwell removed sensitive documents that were the subject of disclosure arguments last year and which the judge had directed should be brought to court.

When the documents concerned -- known as log 89 -- arrived at court some months ago some of the pages were missing.

Those on trial for murder along with Coghlan and Burgess were 23-year-old Neil Grice, 26-year-old Paul Johnson, Stephen Beddows, aged 29, and Philip Moore, 40, from Stockport.