LANCASHIRE’S Chief Constable has ordered an investigation after officers told a grieving family their murdered daughter’s organs could not be donated.

The parents of nurse Jane Clough, 26, have demanded ‘lessons be learned’ after police blunders stopped their daughter’s organs being donated, despite her strong wishes.

Jane, brutally killed by her ex-boyfriend Jonathan Vass, was a registered donor at the time of her death last July.

She was so passionate about the issue she had persuaded her parents Penny and John Clough, of Barrowford, to also sign up.

The couple said they were ‘devastated’ and they had been robbed of the ‘tremendous comfort’ of knowing her death had helped others.

Penny said the distraught family were wrongly told by police that the manner of her death and a request for a second post-mortem examination, meant Jane’s organs, tissue and other body parts could not be donated.

Chief Constable Steve Finnigan has now written to Mr and Mrs Clough expressing his ‘concern’ and promising a ‘full investigation’.

The Lancashire Telegraph understands detectives will be given lessons by the Royal Preston Hospital’s tissue and organ donation team to try to educate them about the sensitive issue.

Penny, also an intensive care nurse, said: “I’ve been told in person that the officer has admitted they’ve made a mistake which was down to a lack of education and protocol within the police force.

I’ve been told they are taking it on board and doing something about it.

“I pushed very hard for several days against what we were told, because working in a hospital I knew you could still donate skin and bone several days after death.

“I knew full well that crucial things like her corneas, tissue, cartilage and heart valve could be donated to transform other people’s lives.

“As a nurse, that’s what Jane worked for every day.

“It would have given us a lot of comfort at a very difficult time knowing her wishes were being fulfilled.

“We were devastated when we couldn’t do that.

“We are not trying to vilify the police because they have been fantastic throughout. But lessons need to be learned to stop another victim’s family going through the same painful experience.

“The officer in question has told us that they are keen to get themselves updated on rules around donation and that an officer has been appointed to liaise with Royal Preston Hospital’s tissue and organ donation team to educate the police.

“When the hospital team told me I was right and that, despite the stab wounds to her neck, Jane could have donated, I was horrified.

“I knew in my heart and it would have given us tremendous comfort to honour her wishes in death.”

The letter from Mr Finnigan expressed his condolences for the family’s loss, said that he noted the Clough’s ‘gracious comments’ and that Detective Chief Superintendent Graham Gardener would be investigating.

A force spokesman said: “Jane Clough's family have raised a number of issues with us and these issues are currently being investigated. We will respond to the family in due course and it wouldn't be appropriate to comment any further until then.”

Jane was stabbed to death by Vass in the Blackpool hospital car park where she worked. She had reported Vass for allegedly raping her while she was pregnant with their daughter. He had been granted bail Vass was sentenced to life imprisonment last October. On Monday he is set to appear in ITV documentary Strangeways revealing a lack of remorse for the murder. Penny said the programme showed the killer in a ‘despicable light’.