The police chief who led Scotland Yard's bungled VIP child sex abuse inquiry failed to investigate two lying conspiracy theorists to save his force from embarrassment, it was claimed last night.

The pair made false statements backing claims by fantasist 'Nick', real name Carl Beech, about a murderous Westminster paedophile ring that the Met had described as 'credible and true'.

Their testimony in 2015 prolonged Operation Midland and the agony of those falsely accused by Beech for months.

Ex-Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse later conceded during an inquiry into Midland that the accusers - known as A and B - had told 'deliberate' lies to his officers.

Pictured: Ex-Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse

Judge blasts 'Nick the fantasist' police whitewash: Fury at watchdog who cleared officers of misconduct in sex abuse case Pictured: Sir Richard Henriques, 2000 By Stephen Wright for the Daily Mail The police watchdogs who cleared five 'Nick' scandal detectives are savaged by a former High Court judge. Sir Richard Henriques says 'no effective interrogations' were carried out during the 'flawed' inquiry by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Calling on Home Secretary Priti Patel to take action, he expresses alarm at the watchdog's 'lack of knowledge of criminal procedure'. In an article in the Daily Mail, Sir Richard accuses the agency of 'gross and inexcusable delays' in a 'lamentable and inadequate' inquiry. Sir Richard, who spent several months investigating Scotland Yard over Operation Midland before demanding five officers face a misconduct probe, reveals the IOPC waited 20 months before taking a statement from him. Advertisement

Yet no action was taken against the pair, who have appalling criminal records, even after ex-High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques said in his scathing report on the VIP abuse inquiry that an outside force should investigate them for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Mr Rodhouse, who was in charge of Midland, had also previously decided not to investigate paedophile Beech for telling lies. When Operation Midland closed without any arrests or charges in March 2016, the Met said in a statement authorised by the shamed police chief there was no evidence Beech had 'knowingly misled' officers.

This was despite clear indications that Beech had lied about VIP sex abuse and murder, damaging the reputations of former Tory home secretary Leon Brittan, ex-Armed Forces chief Lord Bramall and former Tory MP Harvey Proctor.

In compliance with the wishes of Sir Richard, Beech was referred by the Met to an independent force and is now serving 18 years in prison for perverting the course of justice and other offences.

Yet the Met ignored the retired judge's recommendation that the two other serial liars be investigated over their dishonest statements. Had they been prosecuted, it would have heaped further shame on the Met, which has faced unprecedented criticism over Midland. A senior legal source with knowledge of the Nick scandal said last night: 'I can see no possible justifiable explanation for not referring A and B to an independent force. The Met knew they had attempted to pervert the course of justice and wasted months of police time.

'The cost to the police was considerable - over 20 officers for several months.

'Sir Richard's report was accepted in its entirety by [then] Met chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe. Who decided to disagree? And on what grounds when a criminal act has been so blatantly committed?'

Pictured: Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe

Pictured: Steve Rodhouse and Assistant Commissioner Patricia Gallan gives evidence in front of the Home Affairs Select Committee at the House of Commons, October 2015

Former Conservative MP Harvey Proctor (left), Lord Bramall (centre), and late ex-home secretary Lord Brittan (right) who had their homes raided during Operation Midland

Pictured: Harvey Proctor who has called for the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to 'consider her position' in the wake of the botched Westminster VIP paedophile ring investigation

£118m child sex abuse inquiry finds no evidence of Westminster paedophile network at the heart of government despite Tom Watson's 2012 claims from Nick the Fantasist Pictured: Carl Beech, aka 'Nick', 2019 By Martin Robinson for MailOnline Britain's £118million child abuse inquiry concluded Tom Watson's 'sensational' claims about a VIP paedophile ring operating at the heart of Westminster were completely false. Mr Watson's backing for convicted child abuse fantasist Carl Beech, who was called 'Nick' by police, was 'a significant factor' in setting up the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA). But the inquiry's damning report said there was 'no evidence' to back the former Labour MP's 2012 claims about 'clear intelligence suggesting a powerful paedophile network linked to parliament and No 10'. The IICSA report said: 'Despite the inquiry engaging in an extensive evidence-gathering process, we have seen no material indicating the existence of a Westminster "paedophile ring". Similarly, no evidence of any attempts to cover up or suppress information about the existence of such a ring was found at MI5, SIS, GCHQ or in Metropolitan Police Special Branch records.' Advertisement

Mr Proctor, who lost his home and job as a result of Midland and has lodged an official complaint about the Met's handling of A and B, said: 'My solicitors reported Carl Beech for wasting police time and perverting the course of justice by making false allegations against me. Steve Rodhouse refused to record it as a crime, still less investigate.

'Now I find out that Rodhouse did not investigate A and B, two further witnesses against me within Operation Midland which Rodhouse said he knew had lied. We know Beech went on to commit paedophile offences after Midland closed, which Rodhouse could have prevented.

'Rodhouse's failure to investigate Beech and A and B was about protecting his own skin and saving his force from embarrassment.'

Mr Rodhouse also led a disastrous probe into a false rape claim against Lord Brittan and a botched inquiry into Jimmy Savile.

According to reports, the Commons home affairs committee will soon call the officer - now head of operations at the National Crime Agency on £245,000 a year - to answer questions over the Nick scandal.

In his 2016 report, Sir Richard noted that both A and B had significant criminal records and described their evidence as 'worthless'.

He added: 'It is not suggested by any officer in the case that either A or B could possibly be relied upon. Both deliberately lied.'

Scotland Yard declined to say which officer decided to ignore Sir Richard's recommendation that they be investigated.

It said records show evidence of 'a clear rationale for not commencing an investigation but not of the explicit recording of this to the standard required'.

It added a complaint against the Met had therefore 'been recorded and… voluntarily referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct [and] it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.'

Mr Rodhouse declined to answer questions from the Mail.