The Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, is to meet Lord Brittan’s widow later this month to apologise for his force’s handling of a false rape allegation [see footnote].

Hogan-Howe will visit Diana Brittan within weeks to discuss Scotland Yard’s failure to confirm the former home secretary’s innocence over the rape claim before his death last year.

An informed source confirmed on Thursday that the meeting would go ahead. The Met had concluded there was no charge to answer over a 45-year-old rape allegation four months before Brittan’s death in January 2015 but failed to tell him. Lady Brittan was only informed in October.

Sources said the meeting was arranged last year as the earliest possible date that the two could meet.



Brittan officially remains under investigation by Operation Midland, which was launched after a witness known as “Nick” alleged that three boys had been murdered and others sexually abused by a VIP paedophile ring. Scotland Yard has said Operation Midland would continue despite reports that it would be shut down.

The investigation was launched in November 2014 following allegations that boys were sexually abused by a paedophile ring centred around Westminster more than 30 years ago.

Former MP Harvey Proctor was accused of two murders and having a possible role in organising a third.

Lord Bramall, a D-day veteran, was also accused of abuse. Bramall has been told he faces no further action.

Bramall has criticised the Met for forcing him to clear his name over historical claims of sex abuse. The former armed forces chief criticised the investigation for failing properly to verify claims that he was part of a high-profile paedophile ring.

Allegations against the 92-year-old D-Day landings veteran were dropped by the Met after a nine-month inquiry that saw him publicly named as a suspect.

Speaking to the BBC, Bramall said: “I just don’t see how them or any policeman could have believed one word of it without corroboration, which he didn’t bother to get. It was I who had to prove that I couldn’t have done it.”

Scotland Yard has faced calls to issue a full apology to Lord Bramall and his family.

Proctor, who has never been arrested over the claims, denies any involvement and has called for Nick to either be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice or be given psychiatric help.



With the Press Association

• This footnote was appended on 15 February 2016 to provide a link to an Open Door column, “Reporting on historical sexual abuse allegations requires great care”, which discusses the use of terms in connection with historical sexual abuse cases, including “false rape claims”.



