False VIP sex ring accuser ‘did not know who Janner was’

CHIEF REPORTER THE Metropolitan Police faced fresh questions over the aborted VIP paedophile inquiry last night after “preposterous” evidence from its chief witness was made public.

The multi-million-pound inquiry was based in large part on the testimony of a man called “Nick”, who claimed he had been abused by a powerful group of paedophiles.

But after 16 months, Operation Midland was closed down, prompting Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, to order an internal review.

The report by Sir Richard Henriques, a retired High Court judge, is expected to be passed to the police next month and is likely to be highly critical of senior officers, who said Nick’s testimony was.” The evidence supplied by Sir Richard gives further credence to claims that Nick simply kept adding names of notable dignitaries to his list of alleged abusers, possibly to attract more attention to his claims.

Nick falsely accused such notable figures as Sir Edward Heath, the former prime minister, Lord Brittan, the former home secretary, Field Marshal Lord Bramall, the former head of the Army, and the former heads of MI5 and MI6.

Police subsequently raided the homes of Lord Bramall, Lord Brittan and Harvey Proctor, the former Conservative MP, but found no evidence to corroborate Nick’s claims.

Lord Janner’s name had been pushed to the fore over claims that he carried out abuse in children’s homes in Leicester, where he was a long-serving MP.

Daniel Janner QC said in a statement last night: “The man known as Nick made proven preposterous and utterly false allegations against my late father. Among those were claims that my father formed part of a ‘VIP paedophile ring’ at Westminster.

“These allegations have had a profoundly damaging effect on my late father’s character and on the prospect of justice for truthful victims.”

He added: “Accordingly, I believe that Nick should be prosecuted for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

“It is time for those who were falsely accused to be granted justice. Only the prosecution of Nick can ensure that this happens.”

Lord Janner, who died in December aged 87, was subject to a separate police investigation into abuse, outside of the claims made by Nick to Operation Midland.

The Crown Prosecution Service said there was enough evidence to charge Lord Janner with child sex abuse but a court ruled he was unfit to stand trial because of his dementia.

An official inquiry into child abuse will examine the claims made against Lord Janner and the alleged failure of institutions, including the police, to investigate them properly.

His family insist Lord Janner is innocent. Scotland Yard declined to comment.