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

Two men who "deliberately lied" to a disastrous Metropolitan Police enquiry into mendacious claims of execution and maltreatment by VIPs volition beryllium formally investigated for perverting the people of justice.

A erstwhile High Court justice archetypal said the brace should beryllium investigated 7 years ago, but was ignored by the Met.

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

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

The 2 accusers, known arsenic witnesses A and B, made allegations to the Met successful 2015 during Operation Midland, which probed mendacious claims of triple execution by an constitution paedophile ringing involving politicians, generals and spies.

Mr Proctor has campaigned for years to guarantee A and B are investigated, with Wednesday's announcement coming aft helium complained to the constabulary watchdog.

"Why person the Met waited 7 years to notation A and B for investigation?" Mr Proctor told BBC News.

"I americium pleased with the outcome.

"It is disingenuous of the Met to unreal present that its actions were motivated by the Sir Richard Henriques study of 2016, whose proposal they ignored.

"Even though Operation Midland ceased successful March 2016 the torment continues. I inactive await afloat vindication and justness 7 years on."

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

But Beech was lone investigated aft the Met complied with a proposal that helium beryllium investigated for lying by different force.

The recommendations for Beech and Witnesses A and B came successful a damning 2016 study by retired High Court justice Sir Richard Henriques.

Sir Richard recovered A and B had "both deliberately lied" and their allegations had extended the 18-month inquiry, but the Met ignored his proposal that the brace beryllium investigated by different unit for perverting the people of justice.

Mr Proctor made a bid of ceremonial complaints astir the Met's actions but it was lone this twelvemonth that the Met referred A and B to West Midlands Police, which considered whether determination was capable grounds to motorboat an investigation.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said detectives from the West Midlands unit person concluded determination are "reasonable grounds to fishy witnesses A and B person committed an offence of perverting the people of justness and that it is successful the nationalist involvement to unfastened an investigation".

The Met added: "Acknowledging that successful airy of its erstwhile engagement the Met would not beryllium the astir due unit to transportation retired this investigation, officers are successful the process of agreeing presumption of notation with an outer unit truthful that the substance tin beryllium taken forward."

An autarkic constabulary unit volition present beryllium appointed to investigate.