VIP abuse ‘liars’ to be investigated after seven-year delay

Two men who "deliberately lied" to a disastrous Metropolitan Police inquiry into false claims of murder and abuse by VIPs will be formally investigated for perverting the course of justice.

A former High Court judge first said the pair should be investigated seven years ago, but was ignored by the Met.

The announcement follows a long campaign by ex-MP Harvey Proctor, who was among those falsely accused.

"They've been dragged screaming and kicking to this," said Mr Proctor.

The two accusers, known as witnesses A and B, made allegations to the Met in 2015 during Operation Midland, which probed false claims of triple murder by an establishment paedophile ring involving politicians, generals and spies.

Mr Proctor has campaigned for years to ensure A and B are investigated, with Wednesday's announcement coming after he complained to the police watchdog.

"Why have the Met waited seven years to refer A and B for investigation?" Mr Proctor told BBC News.

"I am pleased with the outcome.

"It is disingenuous of the Met to pretend now that its actions were motivated by the Sir Richard Henriques report of 2016, whose recommendation they ignored.

"Even though Operation Midland ceased in March 2016 the torment continues. I still await full vindication and justice seven years on."

The main complainant in the case, Carl Beech, is serving 18 years in prison for his lies, having been jailed in 2019.

But Beech was only investigated after the Met complied with a recommendation that he be investigated for lying by another force.

The recommendations for Beech and Witnesses A and B came in a damning 2016 report by retired High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques.

Sir Richard found A and B had "both deliberately lied" and their allegations had extended the 18-month inquiry, but the Met ignored his recommendation that the pair be investigated by another force for perverting the course of justice.

The BBC first revealed in 2019 that senior officers ignored Sir Richard's recommendation on A and B.

Mr Proctor made a series of formal complaints about the Met's actions but it was only this year that the Met referred A and B to West Midlands Police, which considered whether there was enough evidence to launch an investigation.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said detectives from the West Midlands force have concluded there are "reasonable grounds to suspect witnesses A and B have committed an offence of perverting the course of justice and that it is in the public interest to open an investigation".

The Met added: "Acknowledging that in light of its previous involvement the Met would not be the most appropriate force to carry out this investigation, officers are in the process of agreeing terms of reference with an external force so that the matter can be taken forward."

An independent police force will now be appointed to investigate.