EVERY rape and serious sexual assault case in the country is under review, the Crown Prosecution Service has admitted.

The move is an attempt to improve public confidence in the justice system and comes after the collapse of a number of high-profile trials in recent weeks.

This includes the trial of Liam Allan, who faced 12 counts of rape and sexual assault.

However the case was dropped in December last year, when it emerged evidence on a computer disc, which police had looked through, showed messages from the alleged victim pestering him for "casual sex".

Last night Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions at the CPS, announced the wide scale review.

The Crown Prosecution Service, National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and College of Policing have announced an "improvement plan" to tackle the problems with disclosure.

It will include reviewing disclosure training, developing specialist disclosure experts in every force, and providing all multimedia evidence to the defence digitally.

Ms Saunders - the most senior public prosecutor in England and Wales - said the steps were aimed at tackling "deep-rooted and systemic" disclosure issues.

In a statement, released yesterday, Ms Saunders said: “We are taking steps to identify any individual cases of concern as a matter of urgency.

“All cases are subject to regular and ongoing scrutiny, but senior prosecutors across England and Wales are currently assessing all live rape and serious sexual assault cases to check they are satisfied that disclosure obligations have been met.

“The CPS and police have a vital role in ensuring there is a fair trial process in place to protect the public. Proper disclosure is a fundamental part of this.

"The steps we have already taken, along with the measures we have announced today, are aimed at tackling the deep-rooted and systemic disclosure issues which are of great concern to us all.

"Changes in society such as the vastly increasing use of social media and mobile phone messaging bring challenges that all parts of the criminal justice system, despite the resourcing challenges, must deal with.

"I’m clear that we must make effective change happen quickly – and then keep driving these improvements in the months ahead."

It comes after four rape trials collapsed in the space of two months, when it was found that crucial evidence was disclosed just days before the cases were due to be heard in court.

Most recently, Oxford student Oliver Mears, 19, was cleared last week of rape after spending two years on bail.

It left Surrey Police facing fierce criticism from the judge for the delay in handing over evidence.

Mr Mears had been on bail for two years, but evidence that could have been considered vital to his defence counsel was only disclosed days beforehand.