Wiltshire Police to oversee Edward Heath child abuse investigation

Wiltshire Police will oversee any national investigation into child sex allegations against the late Sir Edward Heath.

At least seven police forces are carrying out investigations linked to abuse claims involving the former prime minister.

Today Wiltshire Police said it has been agreed that it will “lead on the national oversight and coordination of any investigations into Sir Edward Heath”.

Operation Hydrant, a national hub coordinating inquiries into historical abuse, has been liaising with forces which received information concerning Sir Edward.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “This decision has been taken following consultation between Operation Hydrant and affected forces and is based on operational considerations.

“The appointment of a lead force is to ensure that a consistent approach is adopted across the police forces concerned and to avoid duplication.

“Wiltshire Police will now be working with the respective forces to establish an appropriate national investigative strategy and supporting structure.

“Due to the complexities of this task it is anticipated that this will take a number of weeks to finalise. One of the first tasks will be to assess the new information that has been received following the appeals for information made last week.”

Wiltshire Police was at the centre of the revelations that last week led to Sir Edward becoming the highest profile figure to be embroiled in historic paedophile allegations.

It is being investigated by watchdogs over claims that a prosecution against an individual was shelved after a threat was made to expose the former politician.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is also looking into whether Wiltshire Police followed up the claim against Sir Edward, which was made in the 1990s.

The force immediately appealed for potential victims and others with information to come forward, and later reported it had received a number of calls.

In the days that followed, it emerged that detectives in Kent, Jersey, Hampshire, London, Gloucestershire and Thames Valley are also carrying out investigations linked to allegations against Sir Edward.

Questions later emerged about the corruption allegations that sparked the storm.

Former brothel keeper Myra Ling-Ling Forde was named in reports as the person who had escaped prosecution after saying they would “expose” Sir Edward.

However, in a statement Forde’s former lawyer said she wanted to make clear that she had no involvement with the former PM, did not threaten to expose him as a client and had “no knowledge of any misconduct on his part”.

The mystery deepened on Thursday when the prosecuting barrister at the time said claims against Sir Edward played no part in the decision to drop the case in question in the early 1990s.

It did not proceed because of a lack of evidence, Judge Nigel Seed QC said.

He said he had been told by police that the large number of reporters at the court that day were there because Forde, who had been on bail, had said she would allege she had provided rent boys for Sir Edward, should the case proceed.

In a letter to The Times Judge Seed referred to the claims at the time as “nothing other than unsubstantiated assertions of a defendant in advance of a criminal trial”.

He added: “The decision for the case to proceed no further was mine and was based on the lack of evidence and had nothing whatsoever to do with any potential allegations against Edward Heath.”

Forde, 67, a Filipino, was later convicted on two separate occasions of offences related to running a brothel from a residential property in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Former friends and colleagues of Sir Edward have rallied to defend his reputation.

The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation said: “We welcome the investigation by Wiltshire Police, which we wholeheartedly believe will clear Sir Edward’s name and we will co-operate fully with the police in their inquiries.”

Sir Edward, who led the Conservative government between 1970 and 1974, died at home in Salisbury aged 89 in July 2005.

Labour MP John Mann backed the decision. He said: “I’m happy with it – having one police force running the investigation is what is needed.

“One police force bringing it together is a step forward, as long as they have got the resources.”

Mr Mann added: “They don’t need to rush – they need to get it right. These are allegations against a former prime minister and it is important they get it right.”

The National Police Chief’s Council today insisted allegations should be investigated even when the accused has died.

Chief Constable Simon Bailey, national lead for child protection, said: “It is vital that the police investigate allegations of sexual abuse thoroughly and proportionately, whether the alleged crimes took place last week or many years ago.

“Victims who report abuse by someone who is now dead have the same expectation that their allegations will be taken seriously and that they will have recourse to justice.

Police also need to determine whether the alleged offender may have worked with others who are still alive and could pose a risk today. For these reasons, I have been clear that we will investigate non-recent abuse allegations, including those made against people who are now dead.”

He said police will prioritise investigations based on “threat and harm”, adding: “Proportionate resources will be used when investigating someone who has died.”

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