Complaint against Met chief Cressida Dick over ‘Nick the fantasist’ referred to police watchdog 

Complaint against Met chief Cressida Dick over handling of ‘Nick’ the fantasist is referred to the police watchdog

  • A complaint over Beech case Operation Midland has been referred to the IOPC 
  • Carl Beech, 51, was sentenced to 18 years for perverting the course of justice after being convicted of lying about a nonexistent Westminster paedophile ring 
  • Dame Cressida Dick has faced criticism over the £6m fruitless investigation  

A complaint made about the Commissioner of the Met Police, Dame Cressida Dick, has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The IOPC complaint concerns Operation Midland, the Met’s disastrous and costly investigation into the lies spun by NHS manager Carl Beech.

Scotland Yard launched the disastrous £6m Operation Midland investigation into claims made by fantasist Beech – formerly known as Nick – that he had been sexually abused and tortured by a former prime minister, home secretary and the heads of the Army and intelligence services. 

Cressida Dick has faced criticism over Operation Midland, which cost £6m and bore no arrests

The complaint was referred by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime. It comes six weeks after Dame Cressida admitted she should have told a senior officer to withdraw his comment that Beech’s false claims of a Westminster paedophile ring were ‘credible and true’.

Dame Cressida has previously said she knew immediately that the remark, made at a press conference by Detective Superintendent Kenny McDonald, was a ‘mistake’.

Asked if she raised concerns at the time or asked him to withdraw the comment, she told London Assembly Members in October: ‘No, I didn’t… and perhaps in retrospect I could or should have.’

Dame Cressida said that she ‘endorsed’ the establishment of the disastrous Operation Midland by Steve Rodhouse while she was assistant commissioner in 2014.

Prior to Beech’s trial this summer the Met had been forced to make payouts to some of the men whose houses they raided in a storm of publicity, including former army head Lord Brammal and former MP Harvey Proctor.

Carl Beech's obvious lies - including claims he had endured years of beatings and burnings which left no medical evidence - went unchallenged by the Met for months

Carl Beech’s obvious lies – including claims he had endured years of beatings and burnings which left no medical evidence – went unchallenged by the Met for months

Mr Proctor lost his job and home after being investigated on the basis of outrageous false accusations and has received a payout of nearly £1m from the Met

Mr Proctor lost his job and home after being investigated on the basis of outrageous false accusations and has received a payout of nearly £1m from the Met

Mr Proctor accepted a payout of almost £1 million from Scotland Yard in September over its disastrous handling of Operation Midland, but still demanded that the Commissioner resign.

The 72-year-old, who was investigated by the force for more than a year after being falsely accused of child murder by the fantasist, Carl Beech will receive £500,000 damages and £400,000 in legal costs.

It is believed to be the biggest ever payout by a police force over negligent behaviour which did not result in wrongful imprisonment.

But in a withering statement Mr Proctor, who lost his home and his job as a result of the police investigation, said: ”Cressida Dick failed abjectly in her duty and should resign.’

MailOnline has approached the IOPC and Mayor’s Office for comment.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk