Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe to apologise for Lord Brittan sex abuse inquiry
POLICE chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe is to apologise to the widow of Lord Brittan over the shambolic inquiry into historic sex abuse claims against him.
Metropolitan Police Chief Bernard Hogan-Howe
The under-fire Metropolitan Police Commissioner will say sorry to Lady Brittan for failing to inform him he had been cleared of the allegations before he died.
But it is thought unlikely Sir Bernard will bow to pressure to apologise for linking him to the Met’s disastrous Operation Midland probe into claims of a VIP child sex ring.
The inquiry is said to be on the brink of collapse. Lord Brittan, a former Conservative Home Secretary, had been accused of raping a 19-year-old girl student in 1967.
In 2013 the Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was insufficient evidence to back up the allegation.
Lord Brittan arrives for the funeral service of Margaret Thatcher
Police inquiries were re-opened after pressure from Tom Watson, MP, now Labour’s deputy leader.
Although seriously ill, detectives interviewed Lord Brittan under caution and searched his home. Officers concluded the allegation could not be proved.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner will say sorry to Lady Brittan
But they failed to inform the Tory Grandee or his wife he had been cleared before he died. Scotland Yard refused to comment yesterday on reports of a proposed meeting between Lady Brittan and the Commissioner.
Former police chiefs, including several ex-senior officers at Scotland Yard, believe Operation Midland will go down as one of the most shameful episodes in the Met’s 186-year history.
The £2million inquiry was launched after the VIP sex abuse claims by a man named only as “Nick”.
Former police chiefs believe Operation Midland is one of the most shameful episodes in Met history
Three decades after the alleged events, he was introduced to Mr Watson who claimed in the House of Commons the suspected VIP child sex ring had links to Downing Street during Margaret Thatcher’s premiership.
“Nick” was debriefed by Scotland Yard detectives and named several VIPs including former prime minister Ted Heath.