Proctor could get £1million payout over VIP abuse probe
A FORMER Conservative MP could receive up to £1million in compensation in a landmark legal action against police over a bungled VIP sex abuse inquiry.
Harvey Proctor, falsely accused of serial rape and murder by a fantasist known as ‘Nick’, announced plans to sue the Metropolitan Police after receiving a personal apology from its chief, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, yesterday.
The former Tory politician, 69, confirmed his move a week after a damning report by an ex-High Court judge threw the book at Scotland Yard over the force’s handling of the inquiry, named Operation Midland.
One of Sir Richard Henriques’ key findings was that officers misled a judge into granting search warrants to raid the homes of Mr Proctor and his fellow suspects, ex-Army chief Field Marshal Lord Bramall and the late former home secretary, Leon Brittan.
Sir Richard identified a total of 43 failings in Operation Midland, including the fact that a senior detective publicly labelled Nick’s claims as ‘credible and true’ and the Met failed to end the inquiry sooner.
Speaking after his meeting with Sir Bernard in central London, a visibly emotional Mr Proctor said: ‘I can say that in the light of the Henriques Report and its findings, the letter of apology which I received from Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, and the intolerable strain and stress I, my family and friends have borne this last 18 months, I have asked my solicitors to look towards taking proceedings against the Metropolitan Police Service.’
Asked if this could be interpreted as him suing the force, Mr Proctor repeated the phrase ‘taking proceedings’.
Mr Proctor’s legal moves against Scotland Yard came as Wiltshire Police faces scrutiny over its inquiry into alleged child abuse by Sir Edward Heath, who died in 2005.
On Monday the force, which set up Operation Conifer to probe allegations of historical abuse levelled at the former Conservative prime minister, said two suspects had been arrested in connection with the inquiry.
Its statement followed days of criticism that a team of 21 officers and staff had spent £674,472 over 16 months without finding evidence of wrongdoing by Sir Edward. Commenting on Mr Proctor’s case, a libel expert said he could now be entitled to a substantial six-figure payout from the Met.
Susan Aslan, a partner in London-based law firm ACK Media Law – who is not representing Mr Proctor – said: ‘The fact a police officer would assert that these allegations are credible and true before they had been tested and put before a trial, is so far beyond the norms of professional conduct that I would be thinking Mr Proctor would be looking at potentially a libel action, close to maximum damages, for allegations so serious.
‘On top of this could be special damages for the loss of his job and home, and also exemplary damages for the misconduct of the people who libelled him. In addition, he could potentially bring an action over breach of his privacy and data protection rights.’