Alison Levitt QC, pictured, lobbied Theresa May while working for the parents of the 14-year-old pupil who accused a teacher of rape

The senior barrister tipped to be the next Director of Public Prosecutions lobbied Theresa May to step up an investigation into an innocent teacher falsely accused of raping a pupil.

Alison Levitt QC has been earmarked as a replacement for under-fire Alison Saunders, who is quitting after criticism of the Crown Prosecution Service’s handling of a string of high-profile rape cases which collapsed.

Now it has emerged Ms Levitt, while working for the wealthy parents of a 14-year-old pupil who accused teacher Kato Harris of rape, wrote to May about the case.

In an email sent in March 2015, Ms Levitt – a partner with leading law firm Mishcon de Reya – lambasted the police for not seizing Mr Harris’s phone and computer, describing it as ‘an astonishing error’ and criticised the ‘woeful’ pace of the investigation.

The email was sent to a chief superintendent at the Metropolitan Police and copied to May, then Home Secretary.

Last night, Mr Harris said: ‘Sending the email to Theresa May was quite clearly an attempt by Levitt to lobby her and influence the police.

‘It is not befitting of someone who could become Britain’s next top prosecutor.’

Mr Harris, whose career was destroyed by the false allegations, was cleared by a jury in just 15 minutes and a judge later ruled that Levitt had placed ‘enormous pressure’ on the CPS and the police to pursue the prosecution, which he described as ‘improper’.

Kato Harris was falsely accused and later cleared in just 15 minutes, he has since described Ms Levitt as 'your worst nightmare'

In the email, Ms Levitt also claimed: ‘All the circumstances of this case indicate that there are likely to be other victims; furthermore as the suspect is still teaching, he presents an ongoing danger to young girls.’ Details of Ms Levitt’s email have emerged in a letter Mr Harris has himself sent to the PM warning against the appointment of Ms Levitt.

Mr Harris writes: ‘You have a golden opportunity to make a fresh start, to bring in an untainted person whom the media can laud and the public can trust. Ms Levitt is not that person. To a victim of a false accusation, Ms Saunders was a bad dream. Ms Levitt would be your worst nightmare.’ The Mail on Sunday reported in January that Mr Harris had branded Ms Levitt ‘hypocritical’ over comments she made following the collapse of two high-profile rape cases.

Ms Levitt had raised concerns on Radio 4 over the police policy of automatically believing rape complainants, warning a ‘rigid mind-set’ could lead them to miss significant material that could clear defendants.

Yet Mr Harris pointed out that, before he was cleared in court in 2016, Ms Levitt had demanded detectives contact every pupil he had ever taught and pressed officers to seize his computer – despite warnings from the police that the case was flimsy.

The judge in Mr Harris’s trial later recorded that he was ‘at a loss’ to see how the CPS decided there was ‘sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction’ and described the decision to prosecute the teacher as ‘an unnecessary or improper act’.

Despite their actions, the judge added that there was nothing to suggest those acting for the complainant’s parents acted improperly or that their actions prevented the police and CPS from conducting a proper inquiry.

Mishcon did not respond to questions for Ms Levitt. A spokesman for Attorney General Jeremy Wright, who will appoint a new DPP, said: ‘A candidate will be appointed as part of a fair and open competition. All applications will be assessed on merit.’

A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘The PM as Home Secretary was forwarded this correspondence for information only and had no involvement in the case.’