Poppi Worthington’s dad STILL receiving £50,000-a-year police protection despite not being charged over daughter’s death

POPPI Worthington's dad is still being guarded under witness protection at a cost to the taxpayer of £50,000 a year, The Sun Online can reveal.

Paul Worthington — who today dodged being prosecuted for sexually abusing the tot — has received threats and is being shielded by the same police force that bungled the investigation into her 2012 death.

In January, a coroner ruled Worthington had assaulted 13-month-old Poppi in the hours before she died — echoing an earlier ruling by a Family Court judge.

But today the Crown Prosecution Service said it would not review its decision not to bring charges, meaning he escapes prosecution for the fourth time.

And Cumbria Constabulary confirmed: “Security arrangements have been put in place due to threats having been made to Mr Worthington.

"We will not comment on the specific details of these measures.”

A coroner ruled Poppi Worthington had been sexually assaulted before her death five years ago aged just 13 months

It is understood officers still believe there is a risk to Worthington's safety following the high-profile inquest earlier this year.

In January MP John Woodcock blasted the taxpayer-funded police protection as “absurd and expensive”.

Details were revealed by Worthington's lawyer Paul Clark in December when he asked the coroner to let him give evidence from behind a 7ft screen.

He said: "He has been in a long-term position of great vulnerability and risk and as a result has been in a long-term position of witness protection whereby his current appearance and location are not known."

Reeling off a series of Human Right laws he added: "There is a real risk to Mr Worthington's life."

Alison Hewitt, counsel to the inquest, also referred to the witness protection program during legal argument.

Outlining the police's view she said: "Describing Mr Worthington's current appearance may, under operational sensitivities, undo work done to date in relation to ongoing arrangements for protection."

Coroner David Roberts allowed Worthington to sit behind a screen despite a plea from Poppi's mum that he should be seen by the public.

Paul Worthington came out of two years of hiding to give evidence and covered his face as cops bundled him into the court.

He went on to stonewall more than 250 questions, invoking his right not to answer questions that might incriminate him.

The inquest heard harrowing evidence of Poppi's internal injuries and the screams coming from upstairs at the family home in Barrow-in-Furness.

The tot's DNA was found on her dad Paul's genitals, but a bungling police investigation failed to place him under arrest for nine months and evidence including bedding and Poppi's last nappy were lost.

The coroner ruled the tot had been sexually assaulted by her father, and died some time later of asphyxiation caused by an unsafe sleeping position.

Today's CPS decision left Poppi's mother, who cannot be named, in a "complete nightmare" that the full truth will never be revealed.

Lawyer Fiona McGhie said on her behalf: "The latest inquest into Poppi’s death was the third time a court has found, on the balance of probabilities, that Poppi was sexually assaulted prior to death and Poppi’s mother is extremely disappointed that this is not enough for the CPS to undertake a further review of the case.

"She was also left disappointed that Poppi’s father chose to rely on his right not to answer many questions which may incriminate him at the inquest and while she understands he was entitled to do this, she considers that the coroner’s inquiry was frustrated by this.

"The past five years have been a complete nightmare for her.

"Although she is now closer to the devastating truth, it is likely that she may never get full closure on exactly what happened that night."

John Woodcock MP said: "This fresh knockback was expected but it stings because it is a fresh reminder of the terrible failings in the police investigation that have made a criminal conviction so difficult.

"The re-referral to the CPS after the second inquest was necessary but this conclusion always felt inevitable given how much evidence was lost or not collected by the police after Poppi died."

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