Fury over VIP abuse inquiry delay

A FORMER Tory MP last night attacked the police watchdog over ‘inexcusable delays’ in bringing the head of the shambolic VIP abuse inquiry to justice for allegedly lying in public about the case.

Nearly a year after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) ruled that Steve Rodhouse should face disciplinary proceedings, no date has been fixed for a misconduct board.

And to deepen the scandal, the former Met deputy assistant commissioner has been given a newly created senior position at the National Crime Agency on a basic salary of around £180,000 a year.

He led Operation Midland, which is widely regarded as the worst Scotland Yard investigation in modern times after being taken in by serial liar Carl ‘Nick’ Beech, later jailed for his deceit.

Ex-MP Harvey Proctor, falsely accused of murder and child sex abuse, said: ‘I am appalled but not surprised at the lax treatment of Steve Rodhouse.

‘There have been inexcusable delays in his misconduct board hearing.

‘When I was under investigation, I lost my job, my home and had to leave the country for nearly a year. Rodhouse has faced no such consequences. I have no faith that Rodhouse will face justice.’

IOPC director of operations Amanda Rowe said: ‘We are sorry about the time this is taking. Our work is in its final stages and we hope to provide the relevant material to the Met shortly.’

Mr Rodhouse was charged with gross misconduct over allegations that he used ‘inaccurate or dishonest’ words at the end of Operation Midland.

These centre on a 2016 press statement in which Mr Rodhouse said ‘officers have not found evidence to prove they were knowingly misled by a complainant’ and then repeated this in a TV interview.

But two years ago the Mail revealed how two other serial liars who backed Beech’s far-fetched claims were not charged despite evidence they had made up stories about innocent VIPs.