Proctor looks to sue Met over ‘intolerable’ sex inquiry
Former Tory MP tells of stress he had to endure after being falsely accused of raping and killing boys
HARVEY PROCTOR is preparing to sue Scotland Yard over the “intolerable stress and strain” he was forced to endure during the catastrophic Operation Midland investigation.
The former Tory MP said he had consulted his lawyers following Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe’s apology for the 18month ordeal he suffered after being falsely accused of raping, torturing and murdering young boys.
The 69-year-old, who lost his job and his home as a result of the police investigation, said he was not the same person he had been two years ago.
Mr Proctor was finally absolved of any wrongdoing when Sir Richard Henriques published a damning report into the Met’s handing of the VIP child abuse probe last week.
After meeting the commissioner in central London yesterday, a clearly 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 last Tuesday, and the in- tolerable 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 and I will comment further shortly.”
Sir Richard, a retired High Court judge, was extremely critical of Scotland Yard’s £2.5 million Operation Midland, which closed without a single arrest earlier this year.
As part of the investigation, Mr Proctor’s home was raided, alongside those of D-Day veteran Lord Bramall and the late former home secretary Lord Brittan, after claims were made by one complainant known only as Nick.
Sir Richard said the trio’s reputations “were shattered by the word of a single, uncorroborated complainant”.
Nick is now facing investigation by Northumbria Police for allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Mr Proctor, who described how the allegations had left him “low and in a very powerless, difficult position”, said having his name cleared was crucial.
He said: “The most important thing for me was that Sir Bernard went on television and said that I was innocent.” Mr Proctor said he had also told Sir Bernard, who is due to retire in February, that he should resign immediately.
“As we are both plain-speaking Yorkshiremen, I said directly to his face that if I had been in charge of an organisa- tion that made so many blunders, I would consider my own position and not just let others carry the can.”
Asked what he hoped police forces could learn from the failing, he said: “Not to believe anyone who just pulls up and tells what could ultimately be a pack of lies. They have to investigate the complaints before taking such drastic action, as they did in Operation Midland’s case, against people who are in the frame for doing in some cases the most terrible things, but they must get their facts right.
“This is something that Operation Midland dramatically failed to do.”
The Henriques review found 43 failings in the inquiry, including believing Nick for too long; one officer announcing publicly that his claims were “credible and true”; and applying for search warrants with flawed information.
Sir Richard said: “The principal cause of the many failures in this investigation was poor judgment and a failure to accurately evaluate known facts and to react to them. A major contributing factor was the culture that ‘victims’ must be believed.”
‘If I had been in charge of an organisation that made so many blunders, I would consider my own position’