Police to probe failure to investigate alleged fantasists who supported Beech over sex abuse claims

Scotland Yard’s failure to investigate two alleged fantasists who came forward to support liar and paedophile Carl Beech over bogus claims of VIP sex abuse will now be examined by Merseyside Police.

The force will investigate why the Metropolitan Police did not take action against the two men despite Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Rodhouse, who was then in charge, concluding they were ‘deliberate liars’.

The pair, known only as A and B, went to police in September 2015 claiming they could back up Beech’s false claims that a VIP paedophile ring had abused and murdered boys in the 1970s and 1980s.

One of the men was described by his brother as a liar with convictions for fraud and violence, while the other had a history of giving fake information about being abused by paedophiles and also had convictions for fraud and theft. 

But officers from the Met Police did not investigate the pair for conspiring to pervert the course of justice or wasting police time.  

In a statement, Merseyside Police said officers are carrying out an inquiry to establish why Scotland Yard failed to act – a decision that is likely to heap pressure on Mr Rodhouse, now a senior officer at the National Crime Agency. 

Merseyside became involved after former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, who was investigated on false claims by Beech, made eight complaints to Northumbria Police in October 2019 over the Met’s Operation Midland.

Scotland Yard’s failure to investigate two alleged fantasists who came forward to support Carl Beech over bogus claims of a VIP paedophile ring will now be examined by an outside force

They included an allegation that Mr Rodhouse and the Met did not investigate two further complainants for perverting the course of justice and wasting police time.

In a damning independent review of the case, retired High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques said the two men who gave accounts that apparently backed up Beech had ‘both deliberately lied’. 

Sir Richard said their intervention had ‘unquestionably prolonged the investigation’ adding to the suffering of those who had been falsely accused by Beech.

He wrote: ‘I believe that but for the false information being pedalled by witnesses A and B, the DAC [Deputy Assistant Commissioner] would have terminated the investigation.’ 

His findings recommended that ‘offences of attempting to pervert the course of justice be considered’ against them, but his advice was ignored by the Met.

Mr Proctor’s complaints were referred to the Met, before one was passed on to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which recommended an outside force should investigate.

Tory MP Harvey Proctor, who was investigated on false claims by Beech, made eight complaints to Northumbria Police in October 2019 over the Met’s Operation Midland. Merseyside are now investigating why the Met did not investigate two alleged fantasists who supported Beech – a move that will heap pressure on former DAC Steve Rodhouse

A statement from Merseyside Police said: ‘This is in relation to a complaint decision that was not recorded to the right standard with reference to a decision made by MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) not to investigate false allegations from two complainants, and at the completion of Operation Midland in relation to perverting the course of justice and wasting police time.

‘Officers from our professional standards department have now commenced the investigation, as recommended by the IOPC.’

In an email seen by PA, the investigating officer said: ‘I have now prepared an investigation plan regarding the above matter and I am in possession of a number of documents from Operation Midland that will assist me with my investigation.’  

Mr Proctor, 74, said he is ‘very pleased that Merseyside Police have begun investigating a complaint I made against the MPS in October 2019 concerning the Metropolitan Police Service and the then DAC Steve Rodhouse not investigating two false accusers’.

He added: ‘I am hopeful that they will conduct a full, thorough and transparent investigation. I believe it is in the best interests of restoring the criminal justice system.’

The Met said it will co-operate fully with Merseyside, but added that the complaint was assessed by its ‘appropriate authority’, which found any decision to investigate A or B was not for Mr Rodhouse to make.

A statement from the force said: ‘However, it was a decision for a senior officer or senior officers in the MPS to make. 

‘Records show clear evidence of careful consideration of this matter and a clear rationale for not commencing an investigation, but not of the explicit recording of this to the standard required.

‘Therefore, a complaint against the MPS was recorded in January 2020 and voluntarily referred to the IOPC in accordance with IOPC statutory guidance.

‘The IOPC determined that the matter should be investigated as a local matter but suggested it be conducted by an external force.

‘In the summer of 2020, the MPS agreed with Merseyside Police that they will conduct the investigation. The MPS will co-operate fully with their investigators.’      

Former home secretary Leon Brittan was one of the men falsely accused by Beech – then known as ‘Nick’. Mr Brittan died in January 2015 without knowing there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him.

His home was raided, along with those of D-Day veteran Lord Bramall and Mr Proctor, before it emerged that all the claims were based on lies by Beech, who was jailed for 18 years in 2019 for perverting the course of justice.

Calls for a public inquiry into the investigation have been backed by retired senior district judge Howard Riddle, who granted the contentious search warrants for the probe, while Home Secretary Priti Patel has said she will ‘ask further questions’.

Mr Proctor added: ‘I look forward to the Home Secretary answering the questions of judges Sir Richard Henriques and Mr Howard Riddle on Operation Midland again in efforts to restore the criminal justice system so badly damaged by Operation Midland.

‘There should now be a full public inquiry to consider the judges’ comments on Operation Midland.’