VULNERABLE victims and witnesses are being let down by an inconsistent approach to the management of criminal case files according to the police watchdog.

The report published jointly by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) looked into victim and witness vulnerability in criminal case files across the country's forces.

They looked at the effectiveness of the police in providing accurate information about the circumstances of the case; identifying the vulnerability of victims and witnesses; and assessing and managing risks so that their needs are met effectively.

The inspection also examined how prosecutors used this information to ensure that cases were well-presented and the needs of vulnerable victims and witnesses were met.

HMIC examined ten finalised police case files from each force which included two cases of domestic violence/sexual offences; two cases of racially and/or religiously aggravated offences; and one case involving a homophobic offence.

From Gwent Police, the report considered that eight out of ten case files contained an adequate summary of key evidence in the police report. In two cases the summary did not contain the required elements to prove that a crime had taken place.

HMIC considered that only six of the nine cases involving interviews contained an adequate summary of the interview.

In three cases, the summaries did not include the questions asked to which the defendant made no comment.

This information would have assisted the prosecutor in presenting the case to the court, the report said.

They also found that in two of the ten Gwent Police case files examined, the certification of the police report by a supervisor was completed correctly.

The report found in five of the nine applicable 10 cases, the witness care information was completed correctly but in the other four cases, HMIC were not able to establish if the witness care information was available for the court.

The report found that vulnerable victims or witnesses were involved in seven of the ten cases. In four of these cases, Gwent Police identified correctly the vulnerability of the victim or witness within the case file.

This included victims and witnesses who feared reprisals and intimidation from the defendant, a victim at risk of further domestic abuse, a victim of a racially motivated hate crime, and victims who were vulnerable because of their young age.

The police identified correctly the risk of harm to the victim or witness in four of the seven applicable cases, and in three of these cases they managed that risk by imposing bail conditions prior to releasing the defendant from police custody.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said the inspection had found some improvements, but the approach by police and prosecutors to preparing case files was still not good enough.

She said: "Insufficient consideration was being given to the needs of vulnerable victims and witnesses."