Claims of child sex abuse against ex-British PM Edward Heath

Jane Onyanga-Omara | USA TODAY

LONDON — Britain's police watchdog says it will investigate an English police force's handling of allegations of child abuse against the late Edward Heath, the country's former prime minister.

Wiltshire Police referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) after a retired senior officer alleged that claims were made against Heath, who died in 2005, in the 1990s.

The retired officer came forward last summer claiming that senior officers ordered that a prosecution be halted "because it would have led to the former Prime Minister's name being dragged through the mud," the Telegraph reported.

"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," the IPCC said in a statement Monday.

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

Wiltshire Police, based in southern England, said it is investigating if there are any witnesses or victims who support the child sex abuse allegations.

An unnamed man, now 64, alleges that Heath raped him in an apartment in Mayfair, central London, in 1961 when he was 12 years old, after the politician picked him up when he was hitchhiking after running away from home, the Daily Mirror reported. Scotland Yard, the London police force, said it had no comment to make regarding Heath.

In a statement, Wiltshire Police said Heath, who was prime minister under the Conservative government between 1970 and 1974, lived in the city of Salisbury in the county of Wiltshire for many years. He died there at the age of 89.

It said it wanted anyone with any information to contact its officers, and is working closely with a children's charity to ensure any possible victims are supported.

"If there is evidence of offences having been committed we will ensure that, if possible, those responsible are held to account through a thorough and detailed investigation. This includes any other parties who are identified as having been involved in child sex abuse," the police force added.

The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation, which runs a museum at Heath's former home in Salisbury, said it welcomed the investigation, the BBC reported. "We wholeheartedly believe (it) will clear Sir Edward's name and we will co-operate fully with the police in their enquiries," a foundation spokesman said, according to the broadcaster.

The investigation is the latest in relation to a string of allegations of historic child sex abuse involving high-profile figures in Britain.

In May, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), a group that operates across Britain's forces, announced that more than 1,400 suspects, including 76 politicians and dozens of celebrities, are being investigated over allegations of child sex abuse involving VIPs and institutions such as schools.

In March, the IPCC said it will investigate allegations of corruption in Scotland Yard relating to child sex offenses allegedly involving members of parliament and police officers.