Ted Heath named in alleged child sex abuse claim

The IPCC are to probe the handling of child sex abuse claims involving former PM Sir Edward Heath. Picture: TSPL

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it was looking into allegations that Wiltshire Police shelved a criminal prosecution against a person in the 1990s after a threat was made to “expose” how the then MP was involved in offences against children.

The watchdog is also investigating to determine what the force did with the allegations made against Sir Edward. Wiltshire Police contacted the IPCC following claims made by a retired senior officer. Yesterday the force appealed for potential victims to come forward.

Sir Edward, who was prime minister for four years in the 1970s, is the highest-profile figure to become embroiled in historical abuse allegations against prominent figures.

A raft of politicians from across the political divide have similarly been accused of abusing children, including the late former cabinet minister Leon Brittan, Liberal Democrat Sir Cyril Smith and current Labour peer and former MP Lord Janner.

Last month, New Zealand High Court judge Lowell Goddard launched Britain’s largest public inquiry into historical abuse, which is expected to continue until 2020.

An IPCC spokesman said: “It is alleged that a criminal prosecution was not pursued, when a person threatened to expose that Sir Edward Heath may have been involved in offences concerning children.

“In addition to this allegation, the IPCC will examine whether Wiltshire Police subsequently took any steps to investigate these claims.”

Speaking outside Sir Edward’s former home in the shadow of Salisbury Cathedral, Superintendent Sean Memory said: “The allegation is that a trial was due to take place in the 1990s and information was received that Sir Ted Heath was involved in the abuse of children and the allegation is from the result of that information that the trial never took place.

“A retired senior police officer has come forward towards the end of 2014 indicating that they were aware of this information.

“Between then and March this year we worked to establish the facts of that allegation, to a point where in March this year we have made a mandatory referral to the Independent Police Complaints commission. who are leading the investigation into whether we did mishandle that case in the 1990s.

“This is an appeal for victims in particular if you have been the victim of any crime from Sir Ted Heath or any historical sexual offence, or you are a witness or you have any information about this, then please come forward.”

Sir Edward, who led the Conservative government between 1970 and 1974, never married and was famously reticent about his private life. One biographer concluded he may have been a latent or repressed homosexual while another thought he was “pretty well sexless”.

He remained an MP until 2001 and died aged 89 in July 2005.

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson said: “My priority is the interests of victims, as well as holding the force to account for its performance.

“I would like to encourage any victims, or anyone with information which could help the investigation, to have the courage to come forward.”

Last month former home secretary Lord Brittan was named in papers passed by police to an ongoing inquiry into historical abuse. Lord Brittan died in January following allegations a 1980s dossier about paedophiles at Westminster was “destroyed” by officials during his time as home secretary.

In June, a Crown Prosecution Service decision not to pursue charges against former Leicester West MP Lord Janner was overturned on review.

The 86-year-old peer will face charges relating to 22 allegations of historical sexual abuse against nine children during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s when the case gets under way later this week.

Speaking yesterday, Labour MP Tom Watson said he had been aware of allegations against Sir Edward for some time.

He said: “I received information in 2012 concerning allegations of child abuse by Edward Heath and a separate claim concerning Heath was made to me subsequently.

“I passed them both to the police, who have confirmed to me that at least one of those allegations is being investigated and taken seriously.”