WOKING MP Jonathan Lord has stood by comments he made during an interview on Monday with ITV News London in which he appeared to criticise police for their delay in releasing details about three people central to their investigation into the death of schoolgirl Sara Sharif.

In the interview, Mr Lord said: “It became known reasonably early on that the people police wanted to talk to had fled abroad [to Pakistan]. 

“Maybe that could have been brought into the public domain a little bit earlier.”

However, speaking to the News & Mail in the days after the interview, Mr Lord added: “I continue to be very supportive of the police as they work hard on this case both in Woking and internationally.

“They are also doing a good job at reassuring people locally. On matters as important as this I always like public bodies to be as forthright as possible but, of course, the police always have to weigh in the balance their operational responsibilities.”

Mr Lord also restated his belief that in such a sad and shocking case, the authorities in Pakistan should help in having the three, once located, returned to the UK.