Officers escape sanction

NOT one police officer will face misconduct proceedings over the disastrous £2.5million inquiry into Carl Beech’s allegations.

Five officers were referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over fears they failed in their ‘duties and responsibilities’. But last night it confirmed that no one on Operation Midland or those who supervised it would face any disciplinary action.

In any event, three detectives retired before the inquiry concluded – including senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Diane Tudway.

Two further officers, Det Supt Kenny McDonald, who described Beech as ‘credible and true’, and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Rodhouse were cleared of misconduct in March 2017.

This was despite a scathing 2016 report into Operation Midland by retired High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques who identified 43 separate blunders.

However he absolved then Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe and his Assistant Commissioner Patricia Gallan, who had oversight of Operation Midland, of any blame.

Bizarrely, Mr McDonald’s now infamous ‘credible and true’ comments, which critics said prejudiced Operation Midland, were not even examined by watchdogs. He retired with an estimated £250,000 pension pot weeks before the Beech trial.

Mr Rodhouse is now a £175,000-a-year director general at the National Crime Agency. Miss Gallan retired last year with an estimated £400,000 pension. Mrs Tudway was promoted to superintendent and retired on the eve of Beech’s trial.

Detective Sergeant James Townly, who conducted around 20 hours of interviews with Beech, now works in counter-terrorism. Sir Bernard was given a peerage.