The Metropolitan Police brought grave discredit on themselves by the utterly irresponsible manner in which they investigated allegations of child sex abuse against a number of public figures including Lord Brammall and Leon Brittan (when he was dying). They chose to believe the key witness, Carl Beech, who was exposed last year at his trial as a fantasist and liar. They obtained warrants to search the homes of those accused by misleading the judge who authorised them.
All this, and much more, emerged in a 400-page report by a retired high court judge, Sir Richard Henriques, published in full last October. It listed 43 serious failures by the police. Yet all the police officers involved have been cleared by the police authorities of any wrong-doing.
Last October, the government asked Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Sir Tom Winsor, to produce yet another report. No report at all, however, has been commissioned into the serious police misconduct that occurred during Operation Conifer, the investigation of allegations of child sex against Sir Edward Heath.
Alistair Lexden raised both these serious issues in the Lords by means of an oral question on 3 February. He attracted strong support from all parts of the House. Follow the link to read the exchanges in the Lords…. theyworkforyou
