Met police chief urged to ‘consider her position’ over Operation Midland
2 min read
Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan police commissioner, has been urged to “consider her position” after a new report revealed a series of failings in the force’s investigation into an alleged VIP paedophile ring.
The report shows senior officers agreed to publicly declare that they believed accuser Carl Beech, resulting in his claims being described as “credible and true”.
Beech, who sparked an inquiry in 2014 after making the claims, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in July after he was found guilty of falsifying claims he was the victim of a murderous abuse ring.
The unredacted report also shed further light on the role of Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, who is alleged to have pressured officers investigating the allegations. Mr Watson said the report contained “multiple inaccuracies” about his role.
Beech told officers he was the victim of an “establishment group”, consisting of politicians and high-ranking military officials. He falsely accused former PM Edward Heath, the ex-home secretary Leon Brittan, and the former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, among others.
Now, Mr Proctor has called for Ms Dick to “consider her position”, with his lawyer, Geoffrey Robertson QC, saying the investigation, known as “Operation Midland”, was conducted “almost with institutional stupidity”.
The report said many failures were caused by “poor judgment and a failure to accurately evaluate facts”.
Beech was found guilty of 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of fraud over a £22,000 criminal compensation payout, following a 10-week trial at Newcastle crown court.
On Monday, the Independent Office of Police Conduct is set to release its own report, explaining why no officers should face disciplinary or criminal action in relation to Operation Midland.
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