Police criticised over death

A police force is facing legal action after failing to protect a woman from her ex-boyfriend, despite officers knowing he'd killed before.

Her family say Maria Stubbings would still be alive today if the police had done their jobs properly.

Maria's son Bengee has been speaking to Nick Thatcher, about his memories of his mother.

ITV Anglia's Jonathan Wills questions Essex Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh about police failings in the Maria Stubbings murder case...

The son of a woman murdered by her ex-boyfriend has spoken of his shock at finding out that a man he called his 'friend' had killed her.

Maria Stubbings from Chelmsford was murdered by Marc Chivers, who had recently been jailed for assaulting her.

An IPCC investigation found that Essex Police had removed a panic alarm from her home, despite knowing that Chivers had killed a previous girlfriend. Maria's son, Bengi Stubbings, who was 15 at the time, was left with Chivers in the house, not knowing that his mother's body was hidden there.

Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh of Essex Police said: "I recognise the pain that the Stubbings family are going through but I am absolutely committed to say we are doing things differently to 2008, differently to 2011. But there is a lot more that we need to do."

Essex Police has been criticised for failing to protect a woman who was murdered by her ex-partner.

Maria Stubbings, 50, was stranged by Marc Chivers at her home in Chelmsford in 2008.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission says the force missed opportunities to protect her.

Her family is now calling for a public inquiry into how the police deal with domestic violence.

In a statement, Essex Police says it is acting on the report's recommendations.

Chivers was jailed for life for Ms Stubbings' murder.