Met chief: VIP probe did damage confidence in the police
PUBLIC confidence in the Metropolitan Police has been damaged by its shambolic investigation of false VIP child sex abuse allegations, the force’s chief constable admitted yesterday.
Dame Cressida Dick, who is facing a complaint of misconduct over the affair, said she understands why some people want to see ‘heads roll’.
The country’s most senior officer told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘It has damaged public confidence in us. I think people have wanted to see something very, very definite and in particular in terms of punishment of the Met or of individuals.
‘I understand why they feel that. I am sure some people would like to see heads roll.’
A gross misconduct complaint against Dame Cressida by former Tory MP Harvey Proctor was referred to the Independent office for Police Conduct (IoPC) over her role in operation Midland.
Mr Proctor was falsely accused of being a child serial killer by the fantasist known as ‘Nick’, real name
Carl Beech. The former MP complained after Dame Cressida belatedly admitted she should have taken steps to correct a senior officer who said Beech was a ‘credible and true’ witness in the abuse inquiry.
Paedophile Beech was jailed for 18 years in July after being found guilty of 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud.
Scotland Yard spent £2.5million and 16 months investigating his lies. officers raided the homes of ex- Armed Forces chief Lord Bramall, former home secretary Leon Brittan and Mr Proctor – all falsely accused of appalling crimes.
Dame Cressida said yesterday: ‘I’ve apologised already for the effect of operation Midland in its entirety. It was a… very sad investigation which as we know caused a terrible impact on the individuals who were investigated.
‘of course it is appropriate, if somebody has a complaint about me or anybody else, they are able to make a complaint. I will, of course, be extraordinarily co- operative with the IoPC.
‘I certainly regret the phrase being used – “credible and true”. I have apologised for the fact that that happened in the few weeks that I sat above operation Midland and supervised the senior officer.’