The strange priorities of British police

Ted Heath was undoubtedly queer and queers do tend to like boys so his local cops probably think they will find SOMETHING if they look hard enough.  But Ted is long dead so what is the point?  Surely not the dreaded "homophobia"?

Police have vowed to continue a probe into child abuse allegations against Sir Edward Heath – even though a key witness has been discredited.

Mike Veale, Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police, said he was ‘satisfied it was appropriate’ to continue the investigation into the former prime minister, who died in 2005.

He said the operation – which has so far cost £367,965 – would proceed despite the Metropolitan Police’s decision to close down its VIP sex abuse inquiry, in which Sir Edward was named as a suspect by a discredited witness known as ‘Nick’.

Last August, Wiltshire Police was criticised for holding a bizarre televised appeal for witnesses outside Sir Edward’s former house in Salisbury in the shadow of the city’s cathedral.

A senior officer urged victims not ‘to suffer in silence’ and to contact them if they had been abused by the respected politician. Lurid allegations against the late Tory PM, including that he stopped then Tory MP Harvey Proctor castrating ‘Nick’ with a penknife at a paedophile sex party, have since been comprehensively demolished.

But Wiltshire Police, leading an inquiry involving seven forces into historical abuse allegations against Sir Edward, said the nine-month investigation ‘remains live’.

In a letter to the Commons’ home affairs select committee published last night, Mr Veale said: ‘We are committed to going where the evidence leads and it will conclude when we are satisfied that our objectives have been proportionately achieved.

‘As with all investigations, the length of the inquiry will usually be commensurate with the complexity, seriousness and volume of allegations. I would ask no inference is drawn, suffice to say I am satisfied the length of this investigation is proportionate.’

Mr Veale, who has 16 police officers dedicated to the allegations dating back nearly 50 years, said he would personally conduct ‘due diligence’ on the investigation, codenamed Operation Conifer, to ensure ‘proportionality, legality and necessity’.

He added: ‘I will continue to think carefully about the implications of [the] operation. Doing the right thing is more important than the reputation of Wiltshire Police, and I am satisfied that it is appropriate for the investigation to continue.’

Keith Vaz, Labour chairman of the home affairs select committee, said: ‘Concerns have been expressed to the committee over the rationale for this investigation and its cost.

'Ministers have previously criticised the inappropriate decision for a senior police officer to appeal for individuals to come forward with information at the gates of Sir Edward Heath’s former home. We will be monitoring this issue closely.’

Wiltshire Police’s inquiry began last year following allegations it covered up child sex claims against the politician, who never married. Forces including Kent, Jersey and Hampshire have been involved in the probe.

As part of the investigation, officers will spend up to two years trawling through Sir Edward’s private papers, questioning lunch guests at his old home Arundells, as well as former political aides and staff.

They will also try to track down any surviving crew on his yacht over extraordinary claims he abused a boy before throwing him overboard.

‘Nick’, who has since been exposed as a fantasist, claimed to have been raped by the former PM and also made lurid claims against a group of Establishment figures, including ex-Home Secretary Leon Brittan and former head of the army Lord Bramall.

But in March, the Met made the humiliating decision to scrap its £2million Operation Midland inquiry having failed to find any corroborating evidence.

Meanwhile, Wiltshire Police is being probed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission over claims a prosecution against a brothel-keeper was shelved more than 20 years ago after a threat was made to ‘expose’ Sir Edward.

SOURCE
Original report here


(And don't forget your ration of Wicked Thoughts for today. Now hosted on Wordpress.  If you cannot access it, go to the MIRROR SITE, where  posts  appear as well as on  the primary site.  I have reposted  the archives (past posts) for Wicked Thoughts  HERE or HERE