Metmistakes

Cressida Dick’s defence of the shambles the Met made of Operation Midland is an archetypal exercise in evasion and personal blame-shifting. The old “mistakes made, lessons learnt” routine won’t do this time.

She claims Carl Beech was “the only person responsible for the tangled web of lies” but these were legitimised by police proclamations that his uncorroborated accusations were “credible and true”. In addition the Independent Office for Police Conduct has yet again shown that it is not fit for purpose and should be disbanded.

The “presumption of belief” in the complainant should be limited to the recording of an alleged crime and triggering an investigation. The police must then proceed with an open mind to investigate the matter. Conspicuous fairness must be shown to everyone – accused as well as accuser. REV DR JOHN CAMERON, 10 Howard Place, St Andrews