Police reportedly left a 13-year-old boy in a known child abuser’s flat for hours so they could protect an undercover operation.

Greater Manchester Police were said to have watched on as the boy was taken into Dominic Noonan’s home while they were carrying out surveillance in 2011.

One of the officers later claimed they were ‘haunted’ at their failure to intervene after superiors told them not to act, the Times has reported.

Dominic Noonan was found guilty of historical sex offences earlier this year (Picture: Greater Manchester Police)

Dominic Scally, the officer in charge, was later promoted to head of counterterrorism policing for the northwest.


Gangland leader Noonan was found guilty in May of 13 charges of historical sex offences against four young boys.



At the time of ‘Operation Nixon’ – which remained undercover despite concerns it presented unnecessary risks to potential victims – police believed Noonan carried out sexual assaults to punish those who failed to obey his orders.

The paper claims an undercover team were watching his flat in Manchester when they saw him enter the property with the young boy and an unidenitified man.

It is claimed he then closed the windows and curtains, even though it was a warm day.

Concerned officers asked if they could carry out a safeguarding operation, but were instead told to send local uniformed police to the flat.

But this was never reportedly carried out, with the Times claiming senior officers did not want to jeopardise the operation.

A police spokesman told Metro.co.uk: ‘On 21st February 2014 a referral was made to the IOPC ( formerly IPCC) in relation to allegations that during a covert operation into child sex abuse the officers failed to make adequate plans to protect a vulnerable child.

‘The IPCC commenced an independent investigation and on 29th April 2016 the IPCC reported back to GMP. The IPCC findings were that there was no evidence of gross misconduct for any officers but commented that two officers, a DCI and a DI, had displayed behaviour which could amount to misconduct.

‘Following consideration of the IPCC report, GMP held a formal a misconduct meeting in March 2017.

‘The meeting concluded that there was no case to answer for misconduct and recommended both officers’ actions should be dealt with as a performance matter with appropriate action plans put in place.’

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