CCTV capturing the moment Eleanor Williams bought a hammer to inflict injuries on herself has been released.

Cumbria Police has shared the footage from inside Tesco in Barrow as Williams begins an eight-and-a-half year prison sentence.

Williams, who was already on bail at the time having been charged with seven counts of perverting the course of justice, uploaded pictures to social media of serious injuries she had sustained to her face and body.

The impact of the Facebook post saw protests against the police in Barrow and beyond.

However, Williams’ story was untrue.

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 officers she had been taken earlier that day in a silver Audi to an address in Barrow where she was raped by Asian men. She told officers the cuts she had received were from a knife used by one of her attackers.

However, thorough enquiries found no evidence to corroborate Williams’ account. The evidence instead pointed to her injuries being self-inflicted.

Officers located the address Williams reported the attack to have occurred. It was found to have been empty for two years and neighbours said they had never known of anyone of Asian origin either living at the address or coming or going from it.

Comprehensive CCTV checks were made, including of the Barrow town centre area. No sightings were found showing Williams or the silver Audi she told officers had been used to take her to the address.

A search was completed of the field where the first witness had seen Williams. With the help of a police dog, a bloodied black-handled, metal claw hammer was found.

Detectives worked to trace where the hammer had come from and found it was for sale at Tesco in Hindpool Road in Barrow. Detectives visited the store and found that the last purchase of such a hammer had been made on 11 May by debit card. CCTV footage was checked and clearly showed Williams purchasing the hammer herself. The card used for the purchase was the same card, in Williams’ name, found in her rucksack on the night of 19 May.

Williams was interviewed again and initially gave the same account she had first made to officers. However, when officers put the inconsistencies in her account to her, Williams gave “no comment” responses to all questions asked. During the interview there was a total of 74 direct challenges to her account but all received a “no comment” response.