A police officer who led the investigation into the 2023 Nottingham stabbings has apologised to victims' families over the failure to conduct drug tests on triple killer Valdo Calocane while he was in custody.

The revelation emerged during a public inquiry into the attacks that killed three people in Nottingham. Police confirmed that Calocane was not tested for substances during his detention following the killings.

The failure to conduct drug tests has raised concerns about the investigation's thoroughness. If substances had been detected in Calocane's system, it could potentially have affected his legal defence of diminished responsibility, which was accepted in court proceedings.

Retired Detective Superintendent Leigh Sanders told the inquiry that Calocane was charged early in the process. Police have denied suggestions that the early charging was intended to limit media coverage or public scrutiny of the case.

The inquiry is examining various aspects of the police response to the attacks and the subsequent investigation. The failure to test for drugs represents one of several procedural issues being scrutinised as part of the review into how authorities handled the case.

The attacks in 2023 resulted in three deaths and shocked the local community. Calocane ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility, rather than murder charges.