Katherine Wright

Dear Nicholas, Inquest into the Death of Katherine Wright, Known as Sarah Thank you for your report in respect of circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Sarah sent, under paragraph 7, Schedule 5, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and Regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013, by letter dated 9th December 2025. It is with much regret that I would confirm the initial search for Sarah was not conducted to the standards I would expect from my officers. Thames Valley Police (TVP) is committed to learning from this incident and to taking all necessary steps to improve the standard of searching in similar circumstances. I respond below to the matters of concern raised. Absence of structured guidance for officers undertaking premises searches during missing person investigations. To address this, we have reviewed our Missing Persons Operational Guidance and included a new section dedicated to the searching of premises for missing persons. This includes sub sections on the extent of the search; equipment and resources that may be used including the use of personal protective equipment; potential hazards and how the Specialist Search Unit may be used to advise and mitigate such hazards. The source documents used to create this section include a College of Policing e-learning package ‘Searching Premises’ and an input for all new recruits on Specialist Police Search Advisors. This new guidance has been shared with our Learning and Development department and will be integrated into Foundation Training for new recruits. It has also been shared with all officers in a force wide communication. Absence of protocols for escalating safety concerns during searches Your report identified an absence of clear escalation processes where hazards or safety concerns arise during a premises search. The new Premises Search Guidance directly addresses this by setting out options for officers

1 when encountering hazards and specifying supervisory and PolSA escalation requirements. This ensures officers do not conduct searches beyond their training or in unsafe conditions. I am satisfied that the measures outlined above provide a comprehensive and durable response to the matters of concern raised in your Regulation 28 Report. The introduction of dedicated premises search guidance, its integration into missing persons operational guidance and the force-wide communication of these changes will strengthen TVP’s response to missing person investigations. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information.