I want answers from ‘Nick’ police, says Priti: Home Secretary demands full explanation as to why police cleared three officers over the bungled VIP sex abuse inquiry
- Priti Patel met Michael Lockwood to quiz him over allegations against officers
- A former high court judge said police used false evidence to get search warrants
- Nick, whose real name is Carl Beech, was jailed last week for 18 years for perverting cause of justice
The new Home Secretary has demanded a full explanation of the police watchdog’s decision to clear three officers over the bungled VIP sex abuse inquiry.
Priti Patel met Michael Lockwood, head of the Independent Office for Police Conduct, on Thursday to quiz him over allegations against the officers who raided the homes of high-profile figures.
A former high court judge, Sir Richard Henriques, this week said police used false evidence to obtain search warrants for the properties of retired Armed Forces chief Lord Bramall, the widow of ex-home secretary Lord Brittan and former Tory MP Harvey Proctor.
Priti Patel is demanding a full explanation from Michael Lockwood, head of the Independent Office for Police Conduct, over the bungled VIP sex abuse inquiry
A source close to Miss Patel said of Thursday’s meeting: ‘She asked for an explanation of the decision.
‘They discussed it in the meeting, and he is going to reply in writing. She wants a full explanation.’
In an article for the Mail this week, Sir Richard said police did not have the right to search the homes of Lord Bramall, Mr Proctor and Lord Brittan’s widow because their description of the complainant ‘Nick’ as a consistent witness was false.
Nick, whose real name is Carl Beech, was jailed last week for 18 years for perverting the course of justice.
Nick, whose real name is Carl Beech, was jailed last week for 18 years for perverting the course of justice after fabricating the story of a VIP sex ring that abused him
Mr Lockwood is set to respond to Ms Patel’s demands in writing to give a full explanation
Sir Richard suggested the officers involved should face a criminal investigation, but the IOPC responded by saying it had already concluded that there was ‘no suspicion of criminality’.
A former high court judge said that police used false evidence to obtain search warrants for the properties of retired Armed Forces chief Lord Bramall, the widow of ex-home secretary Lord Brittan and former Tory MP Harvey Proctor
In its original probe it found officers acted with ‘due diligence and good faith’.
This week former director of public prosecutions Ken Macdonald accused the watchdog of conducting a ‘cursory investigation’ into the most senior officers, who were not even interviewed.
Conservative MPs also called for the probe to be reopened.
Misconduct allegations were first referred to the IOPC’s predecessor, the Independent Police Complaints commission, in 2016 but the investigation was not completed until earlier this month.
Sir Richard said he was surprised by the length of the inquiry, meaning officers could not recall which documents they had seen before making warrant applications.