Police have been instructed to reinvestigate a complaint over the treatment of Caroline Flack before her death by a watchdog.

The complaint was made by Caroline’s mother, Christine, who claimed that her daughter was treated differently by police due to her fame.

The Love Island presenter took her own life at the age of 40 in February 2020.

Flack found out the day before her death that she would be prosecuted with the charge that she hit Burton with her phone while he slept over concerns he had been cheating on her.

Friends said she was expecting the case to be dropped after her lawyers applied for it to be thrown out.

A coroner ruled she took her own life after learning prosecutors were going to press ahead with an assault charge over an incident involving her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.

The Oldham Times: Floral tributes left outside Caroline Flack’s former home in north London in 2020 (Dominic Lipinski/PA)Floral tributes left outside Caroline Flack’s former home in north London in 2020 (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Caroline Flack’s family ‘really sad and really angry’

Christine Flack told the BBC she still wants to know why her daughter was charged with the assault – despite prosecutors initially saying she should be given a caution.

She said: “I just want those answers to make me feel better and to make me know that I’ve done the right thing by Caroline.”

She added: “It leaves us really sad and really angry because we want to know why they charged her.

“I just want the truth out there. I know it won’t bring her back but I’ve got to do it for her.”

Asked if she feels the decision to charge her daughter contributed to her death, Mrs Flack said: “Oh, totally. Totally. She couldn’t see a way out.”

She said she has now lost trust in the force, continuing: “There’s no trust at all. No trust at all. I just want the truth out there.

“And it won’t bring her back. I know it won’t bring her back. But I’ve got to do it for her.”

Met Police to ‘re-examine’ Caroline Flack investigation

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police (MPS) told the BBC that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) had instructed the MPS to reinvestigate the aspect of an old complaint.

The MPS spokesman said: “Following a review, the IOPC agreed with the MPS that service was acceptable in relation to seven areas of the complaints relating to the response and handling of the incident by the MPS.

“The IOPC has directed the MPS to reinvestigate one element of the complaints. This relates to the process involved in appealing the CPS decision to caution Ms Flack.

“We will re-examine this element of the investigative process.

“Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Caroline’s family.”