Keith Vaz grilled police chief on Edward Heath probe

Keith Vaz wrote to the police chief in charge of investigating abuse claims against late former prime minister Edward Heath. 

Labour MP Mr Vaz wrote in the ‘early stages’ of the inquiry to request operational details of the controversial probe, claims Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Mike Veale.

But Mr Veale dismissed the letter, adding the inquiry into 40 individuals’ claims against Sir Edward was independent of political influence. 

The police chief branded Mr Vaz’s letter ‘highly unusual’ and ‘highly inappropriate’.

Labour MP Mr Vaz (left) wrote in the ‘early stages’ of the inquiry to request operational details of the controversial probe, claims Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Mike Veale (right) 

Mr Veale admitted he misjudged the pressure he would face over the investigation, but added that the force had ‘operated with utter dignity [and] utter respect’

Mr Veale also claimed he was warned that he could lose his job over the investigation.

The probe established that the Tory prime minister would have been questioned over the alleged abuse of a 10-year-old if he was still alive. 

Mr Veale, who led Operation Conifer, told The Mirror: ‘Probably the best way to summarise it was, “The man is dead”. I replied with something along the lines of, “We’re going to continue to do the right thing”.

The probe established that the Tory prime minister (pictured in 1999) would have been questioned over the alleged abuse of a 10-year-old if he was still alive

‘I insisted, “I’m going to make decisions because I am an operationally independent chief constable and any influence from any ­politician of any denomination is highly unusual, highly inappropriate and would be resisted at all costs”.’

At the time of writing the letter, Mr Vaz was chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee when he wrote to Mr Veale about the £1.5million two-year investigation. 

But Mr Vaz, a married father-of-two, stood down from his role after it was revealed he paid two male escorts for sex at his London flat. 

Mr Vaz, a married father-of-two, stood down from his role after it was revealed he paid two male escorts for sex at his London flat

It comes after Mr Vaz and the Home Affairs Committee were accused by Sir Cliff Richard’s lawyers of unfairly causing ‘extremely damaging’ media coverage.

It followed the release of a letter Mr Vaz received, which revealed the investigation into the singer over child abuse allegations had ‘increased significantly’.

But Sir Cliff denied the allegations and police took no further action. 

Mr Veale added that he would never be swayed by public or private pressure over the investigation into Sir Edward Heath. 

He added: ‘Someone told me very early on in this investigation, and I don’t want to be overdramatic, that: ‘You do realise, Mike, you could lose your job over this’.

‘My response was, “So be it. But I will continue to do the right thing”.’

The police chief’s report would reveal that Sir Ted would have been questioned over seven people’s claims of sexual abuse.

One included the claim that an 11-year-old boy, now 66, was raped in 1961 in London during ‘a paid encounter’.

It was also claimed that a 15-year-old rent boy was indecently assaulted in Kent during three encounters in 1964 — while Sir Edward was Secretary of State for Industry and Trade. 

Wiltshire Police’s report was slammed by angry supporters of the late PM, who died in 2005 aged 89 at his home in Salisbury. 

But while Mr Veale admitted he misjudged the pressure he would face over the investigation, he added that the force had ‘operated with utter dignity [and] utter respect’.