MP Vaz and his ‘highly inappropriate’ questions to top cop over Heath probe

He wanted operation details

KEITH Vaz contacted the cop probing Ted Heath over sex abuse claims to ask why he was investigating the late former PM.

Mike Veale claimed Labour MP Mr Vaz wrote in the “early stages” of the inquiry requesting operational details of the controversial probe.

Mr Veale dismissed the letter, saying the inquiry into 40 individuals’ claims against Sir Edward was independent of political influence.

Today Mr Veale branded Mr Vaz’s approach “highly unusual” and “highly inappropriate”.

He also claimed he was warned he could lose his job over the probe, which concluded that the Tory, if alive, would have been quizzed over alleged abuse of a 10-year-old boy.

Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Mr Veale, who led Operation Conifer, said: “I think what he was saying was, ‘I want to know the operational detail and reasons for investigating Sir Edward Heath’.

“Probably the best way to summarise it was, ‘The man is dead’. I replied with something along the lines of, ‘We’re going to continue to do the right thing’.

“I insisted, ‘I’m going to make decisions because I am an operationally independent chief constable and any influence from any politician of any denomination is highly unusual, highly inappropriate and would be resisted at all costs’.”

Mr Vaz was chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee when he wrote to Mr Veale about the two-year £1.5million probe.

ESCORTS

But Mr Vaz stood down after the Sunday Mirror revealed the married father-of-two paid two male escorts for sex at his London flat.

It is not the first time he has intervened. In 2015, Sir Cliff Richard’s lawyers accused the Home Affairs Committee and its chair, Mr Vaz, of unfairly causing “extremely damaging” media coverage.

It followed the release of a letter Mr Vaz received in which officers revealed the probe into an allegation against the singer of child sex abuse has “increased significantly”.

Sir Cliff denied the allegations and police took no further action.

Mr Veale insisted that he would never buckle to private or public pressure over the investigation probing Sir Edward’s activities over 50 years.

He added: “Someone told me very early on in this investigation, and I don’t want to be overdramatic, that: ‘You do realise, Mike, you could lose your job over this’.

“My response was, ‘So be it. But I will continue to do the right thing.’”

Mr Veale’s report found Sir Ted would have been quizzed over seven individuals’ claims of sexual abuse.

They include claims an 11-yearold boy, now 66, was raped in 1961 in London “in a paid encounter”.

It was also alleged a rent boy, aged 15, was indecently assaulted in Kent during three paid sexual encounters ACCUSED Keith Vaz wrote to top cop in 1964, while Sir Edward was Secretary of State for Industry and Trade.

Angry supporters of Sir Edward, who died in 2005 aged 89 at his Salisbury home, slammed the Wiltshire Police report.

Mr Veale has admitted he misjudged the pressure he would face over the investigation. He said: “I think I underestimated the amount of scrutiny, and the challenge, the complexities, and the political sensitivities.

“But ultimately I can look at you right in the eye and say we have operated with utter dignity, utter respect. We’ve maintained an absolute integrity in what we’ve done and what we’ve said, how we operated and how we’ve investigated.”

scoops@ mirror.co.uk

He was saying, ‘I want to know the operational detail and reasons for investigating’

MIKE VEALE WILTSHIRE POLICE CHIEF CONSTABLE

PROBED Edward Heath was accused by 40 alleged victims of abuse