UK police forces investigate Edward Heath abuse allegations

The scale of the police inquiries into former British prime minister Edward Heath became apparent yesterday as two more forces revealed they were investigating the late politician over child abuse claims.

Jersey police said Heath featured as part of Operation Whistle, an inquiry into child abuse on the island, while Kent police are investigating a sexual assault claim against the former Tory leader after receiving a report yesterday.

Four police forces are now investigating allegations against Heath after Wiltshire police issued an appeal on Monday for anyone claiming to have been a victim of abuse by Heath to come forward.

Scotland Yard has also reportedly been investigating claims against Heath for several months as part of Operation Midland, set up to examine allegations of murder by a Westminster paedophile ring that systematically abused children.

Heath served as British prime minister from 1970 to 1974 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975.

The allegations against Heath, who was unmarried and subject to lurid speculation about his private life, come amid a flurry of claims of establishment figures sexually abusing children, with their crimes being covered up.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating claims made by a retired senior officer that Wiltshire police dropped a prosecution in the 1990s after a suspect threatened to name Heath in connection with allegations of child abuse.

The suspect was reported to be a woman in charge of a brothel.

Wiltshire police said they had received a number of calls after issuing the appeal.

Speaking outside Heath’s former home, Supt Sean Memory said a retired senior police officer came forward at the end of last year with claims that a prosecution was halted when a person threatened to expose Heath as a paedophile.

The former officer making the allegations of a cover-up was a constable at the time, and rose through the ranks, reaching the rank of inspector or above.

The IPCC said it would investigate the cover-up claims and what Wiltshire police did to investigate the allegations about Heath.

Claim

After Monday’s revelations, the Mirror reported a claim by an unnamed man that he was raped aged 12 by Heath, who died aged 89 in 2005.

The alleged victim claims he was picked up by the politician in a car on the A2 in Kent.

A statement from Kent police said: “Kent police has today received a report of a sexual assault having been committed in east Kent in the 1960s.

“The victim has named Sir Edward Heath in connection with the allegation. Detectives are making initial inquiries and will obtain a full account from the victim.”

It emerged on Monday officers from the Metropolitan police spoke to a man who came forward more than two years ago and claimed that as a teenager he was abused by Heath.

It is understood the claims are being investigated under Operation Midland, which falls under a wider umbrella of investigations – Operation Fairbank – into allegations of abuse involving high-profile figures.

Guardian service