Proctor: Pay my £900,000 out of police pensions
A FORMER Tory MP falsely accused of being part of a VIP child sex ring said last night his £900,000 payout should come from the pensions of officers who investigated him.
Veteran politician Harvey Proctor said he hopes the amount will deter police from assuming guilt on the say-so of unreliable witnesses.
Mr Proctor is to receive £500,000 in compensation and £400,000 in legal costs from the Metropolitan Police following its disastrous probe into the lies of fantasist Carl Beech.
Mr Proctor, 72, faced ruin after paedophile Beech, known as “Nick”, claimed the former MP and others, including exprime minister Edward Heath, had abused and murdered children.
Obtained
He was forced to quit his job working for the Duke and Duchess of Rutland and move from his home on their Belvoir Castle estate.
During the shambolic Operation Midland probe into Beech’s false allegations, the homes of Mr Proctor, Field Marshal Lord Bramall and former home secretary Lord Brittan, were subjected to “mob-handed searches by police”.
It later emerged that police had obtained warrants for the searches after misleading the national Chief Magistrate.
Operation Midland collapsed with no arrests and Beech, 51, was jailed for 18 years in July after he was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
Mr Proctor said after his settlement was announced yesterday: “I hope the size of this award will deter police from assuming the guilt of innocent suspects and from misleading judges in order to obtain search warrants.
“I shall now seek to repair my damaged life in the years that are left to me.”
He added: “I am heartily sick of these police and their mealymouthed apologies to me. I did not want to take a fortune from public funds, just enough to put my innocence beyond doubt, and to warn police not to make this same mistake.”
He said the damages “should come out of the pension pots of the police who made these grievous mistakes”.
The Met was heavily criticised for believing Beech for too long and the then Detective Superintendent Kenny McDonald for announcing publicly that Beech’s claims were “credible and true”.
Mr Proctor is the last VIP smeared by the false claims who is still alive.
Earlier this month, he announced he had reported five former Met officers seeking a full criminal investigation.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, asked yesterday if the police should face prosecution, said: “If it is possible to have legal redress, then obviously that should be sought.”
● See full feature in Tatler’s January issue, on news stands on Thursday December 5.