The Tesco CCTV that helped bring down Ellie Williams' sickening lies that ripped a small town in two

A post on Eleanor Williams' Facebook page sent shockwaves across the world. Pictures of her face battered and bruised alongside an harrowing account of an alleged six year ordeal with a sex trafficking gang turned the small town where she lived upside down

Williams made accusations that she had been abused and groomed for years by a group of Asian businessmen. She said they raped and beat her if she didn't go along with their wishes, and that she was just one of many victims of these crimes.

But what Williams had not revealed was that she was at that time under investigation for perverting the course of justice. She had only just been released on bail after an investigation found no substance to her claims of a grooming gang in Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria.

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Her post said nothing of this, though, and was shared more than 100,000 times and launched the campaign called 'Justice for Ellie'. This led to homes and businesses in the town being targeted with hundreds taking to the streets to support her.

They targeted businesses run by Asian families and an extra 150 crimes were reported, many of which were racially motivated, following Williams' claims. Police were accused of a cover up and the same accusations were thrown at the local newspaper when Williams' arrest was reported on.

All the while a police investigation was underway. On the evening of 19 May, Williams had been reported missing by her family and was then seen by witnesses in a field near to her home. She was subsequently found by officers with numerous injuries to her face and body and carrying a rucksack containing a bank card in her name.

Williams told