My family deserves public inquiry, says Bramall’s son
AN URGENT public inquiry should be held to determine what evidence the police had to justify their year-long investigation into Lord Bramall, his son has said.
In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, Nicholas Bramall said his family and the public had the right to know exactly what was behind the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Midland inquiry.
He said an inquiry was needed to examine why it took officers so long to establish that the allegations against the 92-year-old former head of the Army were groundless. His comments came as David Cameron offered his cautious backing to the Met Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard HoganHowe, amid mounting criticism over his handling of the investigation.
In his first significant intervention in the row, the Prime Minister praised Sir Bernard’s record on fighting terrorism and said he would continue to work well with him. But he fell short of endorsing a proposed extension to his contract, insisting the decision was a matter for the Mayor of London and the
Home Secretary. Sir Bernard’s five-year spell as the UK’s most senior police officer is due to expire in September, but Boris Johnson has recommended he be given another 12 months in post.
A decision is expected to be made by Theresa May in the coming weeks, but Sir Bernard’s refusal to apologise over his force’s handling of the investigation into an alleged VIP paedophile ring has led to questions over his future. He will be questioned by MPs this month.
Asked if he thought Sir Bernard deserved to have his contract extended, Mr Cameron said: “It’s a matter for the Mayor of London and the police authority. But I work very well with Bernard Hogan-Howe.
“I think the steps he has taken recently to make sure there are armed police on the streets to deal with terrorism are absolutely right and I will continue to work with him.”
Sir Bernard was last night facing further calls to apologise to Lord Bramall and also to the family of the former home secretary Leon Brittan. Both men were investigated after a single witness, known as “Nick”, claimed they had been members of a gang which raped, tortured and murdered boys in the Seventies and Eighties.
Lord Bramall was cleared of any wrongdoing last month, but despite a string of errors in the case, the force is yet to apologise to the D-Day veteran.
His son said: “The accuser ‘Nick’ has wasted millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money, months of police time and besmirched the reputation of honourable men. Surely the cloak of anonymity should now be lifted.”
Lord Brittan, who died last year, was also subjected to an investigation over a historic rape allegation, despite the senior case officer insisting there was not enough evidence to proceed.
Lord Lamont, the former chancellor, said: “Was he investigated in the way any other case would be investigated, or was it, in the post-Savile world, pursued with vigour that actually got it all out of proportion?”