Mystery of missing dossier on VIP child abusers: Tory peer Leon Brittan faces questions over 1980s files on Westminster paedophile ring

Lord Brittan, 74, is facing questions over handling of 'explosive' document

Tory peer told journalists last year he had no recollection of being given it

In a statement yesterday morning, however, he changed his mind

Confirmed he was given ‘bundle of papers’ by MP Geoffrey Dickens



He now says he passed them to officials in 1983 for further investigation

A dossier detailing explosive claims of sex abuse by paedophiles within Westminster has gone missing.

Given to Home Secretary Leon Brittan in 1983, the files allegedly exposed a vile network at Parliament and Whitehall.

But there is no record of any subsequent criminal inquiry and the Home Office yesterday admitted the dossier is either lost or destroyed.

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A dossier detailing explosive claims of sex abuse by paedophiles within Westminster has gone missing. Given to Home Secretary Leon Brittan in 1983, the files allegedly exposed a vile network at Parliament and Whitehall

Lord Brittan, 74, is now facing questions over his handling of the document and inconsistencies in his account of what he did with it.

The Tory peer told journalists last year he had no recollection of being given the dossier. But in a statement yesterday morning, he changed his mind.

He confirmed he was handed a ‘substantial bundle of papers’ by MP Geoffrey Dickens in November 1983 and passed them to his officials for further investigation.

He said: ‘I do not recall being contacted further about these matters by Home Office officials or by Mr Dickens or by anyone else.’

Hours later Lord Brittan amended his account again after proof emerged that he had written to Mr Dickens in March 1984 informing him the dossier had been assessed by prosecutors and handed to police.

Home Office officials say they have searched for the dossier but cannot find it.

Last night Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who has challenged Lord Brittan to explain how he dealt with the allegations, demanded to know what police had done with the information provided by the late Mr Dickens.

The Tory peer told journalists last year he had no recollection of being given the dossier. But in a statement yesterday morning, he changed his mind. He confirmed he was handed a 'substantial bundle of papers' by MP Geoffrey Dickens (pictured) in November 1983 and passed them to his officials for further investigation

He said: ‘Why would you destroy such an important document? What action was taken? Were any prosecutions forthcoming? We need to know this. It’s raising more questions than it is answers. Many people will think it has been destroyed to protect the people whose names were in it.’

In his second statement yesterday, Lord Brittan said he had acted properly and the dossier had been fully followed up.

Mr Danczuk said: ‘To hear a former Home Secretary dismiss evidence from Geoffrey Dickens, a member of his own party who has a strong track record in campaigning on this issue, in such a casual, procedural manner is extremely worrying.



‘The impression conveyed is that Sir Leon does not want to talk about this. It goes right to the heart of an attitude in politics that child abuse is a subject best avoided. He should reveal what he knew at the time about paedophile networks and what action he took.’



The Rochdale MP – who helped expose the full extent of Liberal MP Sir Cyril Smith’s paedophile attacks in a book earlier this year, serialised by the Daily Mail – is calling for a Hillsborough-style inquiry into child abuse allegations against politicians.

Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who has challenged Lord Brittan to explain how he dealt with the allegations, demanded to know what police had done with the information provided by the late Mr Dickens

A lawyer representing alleged victims of abuse at the south-west London Elm Guesthouse reportedly named in the dossier, criticised the loss of the document.

Alison Millar, head of the abuse team at Leigh Day, said: ‘My clients are incredulous at how this dossier can have simply disappeared. It seems inconceivable that a document of such importance can have simply disappeared.

‘I would strongly support the calls for a widespread inquiry into historic sexual abuse so that my clients could have their many questions answered about who knew what and that a very troubling veil is lifted from the corridors of power.’



The Prime Minister’s official spokesman declined to back Mr Danczuk’s demands for an over-arching inquiry – a call which has garnered the support of 120 MPs.

The Rochdale MP - who helped expose the full extent of Liberal MP Sir Cyril Smith's (pictured) paedophile attacks in a book earlier this year, serialised by the Daily Mail - is calling for a Hillsborough--style inquiry into child abuse allegations against politicians

He said independent inquiries were already under way into allegations relating to the BBC and the NHS. But when asked whether there should be an independent inquiry into allegations of Westminster paedophile rings, he referred to last year’s Home Office review.

Asked to comment on the Dickens dossier, Scotland Yard said last night: ‘The Metropolitan Police is currently assessing information and conducting a number of investigations under Operation Fairbank. Any material submitted to us, historic or current, is reviewed to establish if it is relevant to these.’



Tim Loughton, former children’s minister, told Channel 4 News: ‘In order to restore confidence in our child protection system, because things have got a lot better, we need an overarching inquiry that puts all this into context and makes recommendations so we can make sure we have a child protection service that is fit for purpose.

‘The victims must come first. And those many victims, many hundreds if not thousands who have been suffering often in silence going back to the 60s, 70s, 80s who have been emboldened to come forward.

