Chequered record of the Celebrity Squad cops
THe ‘Celebrity Squad’ was set up to investigate allegations against the rich, powerful and famous. Here we examine the team’s chequered record.
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JEFFREY Archer was found guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice for lying during a 1 87 libel case he brought over allegations that he had paid a prostitute for sex. In 2001, the author and former Tory politician was jailed for four years.
Royal butler
PAUL Burrell, Princess Diana’s former butler was accused of stealing hundreds of her possessions, but the trial collapsed in 2002 after it emerged that he told the Queen the items had been held for safe-keeping.
Police were criticised at the Old Bailey trial for failing to establish this. The officers were later cleared of wrongdoing despite the botched case and subsequent failed trial of another former royal butler costing £2million.
Blue Peter star
JOHN Leslie was cleared of two charges of sexual assault in 2003 after the prosecution offered no evidence against the ex-Blue Peter presenter. Taxpayers faced an estimated £1million bill for the case.
Coughing major
CHARLES Ingram, the major who cheated to win the jackpot on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? was convicted in 2003. But taxpayers faced an estimated £8million bill to cover the police inquiry and his successive appeals.
Supermodel
KATE Moss faced a probe in 2006 costing an estimated £250,000 after pictures emerged of her allegedly snorting cocaine. The CPS decided there was no realistic prospect of conviction as it couldn’t be proved what the substance was.
Cash for honours
POLICE were called in to probe claims that four businessmen who made loans to Labour were nominated by Tony Blair for peerages. The then-PM was questioned three times as a witness.
In July 2007, after a 16-month inquiry, the police announced no one would be charged.
MPs’ expenses
THE 200 expenses scandal saw five MPs and two peers jailed as a result of an investigation into false expenses claims.
Labour veteran and male escorts
FORMER Labour MP Keith Vaz came under investigation over claims he offered to buy cocaine for two male escorts in 2016. The inquiry was closed without charges being brought.
By-election victor
FORMER Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney was interviewed under caution by police over allegations that she broke official spending limits during a 2016 by-election.
But the CPS decided there was no evidence to show the breach was deliberate and police closed the case.
Brexit campaign
THE Leave.EU campaign was referred to police on suspicion of breaking electoral law over its spending in 201 .
The celebrity squad investigators concluded there was insufficient evidence to justify further investigation of the group, set up by the insurance businessman Arron Banks, despite ‘technical breaches of electoral law’.