The actor John Inman is the latest target of the increasingly insane Celebrity Nonce Squad. Far be it from me to point out that Inman died in 2007 and, just like Jimmy Savile, remains dead.

Since when has the lack of a live suspect ever stopped them? Having failed to arrest Savile while he was still breathing, the Old Bill have been trying desperately to pin bogus charges of 'historic' sex abuse on everyone from disc jockey Paul Gambaccini to the former Prime Minister Edward Heath, who is also dead.

This deranged witch-hunt has ruined the lives of countless innocent individuals and turned the basic principle of British justice on its head.

All those accused are presumed guilty unless they can prove themselves innocent. In the case of war hero Lord Bramall, absurdly accused of being a member of a VIP paedophile ring, investigating officers took a full ten months before contacting key witnesses who could testify that the allegations against him were nonsense.

The actor John Inman (pictured several ears ago) is the latest target of the increasingly insane Celebrity Nonce Squad

All those accused are presumed guilty unless they can prove themselves innocent, writes Richard Littlejohn

Speaking in a BBC interview yesterday, Lord Bramall said: 'I don't see how a level-headed policeman could believe a word of it.'

Me neither. But the problem is we are not dealing with level-headed policemen, we are dealing with politically motivated, careerist zealots like Met Commissioner Bernard Hyphen-Howe and his ambitious sidekick 'Fat Pat' Gallan, head of the costly, utterly discredited, over-the-top Operation Midland investigation into rape and murder in high places.

They have been cruising the graveyards, like Burke and Hare, trying to dig up charges of sex abuse against the dead, who are no longer around to defend themselves.

Heavy-handed, very public, Stasi-style raids have been made on the homes of the living.

Hyphen-Howe still hasn't explained why sending 22 — yes, 22 — officers to ransack Lord Bramall's country home is a proportionate response to an accusation levelled by a dubious fantasist, let alone a measured use of police resources.

What the hell did they expect to achieve, other than to alert neighbours that they had a suspected sex offender living in their midst?

That outrageous abuse of power alone, quite apart from his other manifest failings, should disqualify him from winning an extension to his contract. If Theresa May gives him a new three-year deal, she should be ashamed of herself.

Inman (left and right), who died in 2007, is the latest victim of a deranged witch-hunt that has ruined the lives of countless innocent individuals, writes Littlejohn

Having failed to arrest Jimmy Savile (right) while he was still breathing, the Old Bill have been trying desperately to pin bogus charges of 'historic' sex abuse on everyone, writes Littlejohn

But, then again, this is a woman currently performing a cynical loop-de-loop on Europe, so she clearly has as little sense of shame as Hyphen-Howe himself.

Even when the charges are proven to be baseless, the Commissioner can't bring himself to issue a proper, personal apology.

As in the case of former Home Secretary Leon Brittan, who died with false allegations of abuse still hanging over his head, a subordinate is summoned to pen an insincere, weasel letter of 'regret' — although we're told Hyphen-Howe will finally get round to saying sorry to Brittan's widow. Bit late for that, I'd have thought.

Bold Bernard will never admit that the charges against most of those he decides to subject to ducking-stool justice are baseless.

The explanation is always that there was 'insufficient evidence' to proceed — even when there was absolutely no evidence at all. The clear implication is that there was no smoke without fire, and so the stigma lingers. It's character assassination by omission.

At this stage, it is customary to acknowledge that the Savile Squad has managed to nail some serious creeps, such as Stuart Hall and Rolf Harris.

But having failed to pin anything on a procession of entertainers, including Jimmy Tarbuck and Jim Davidson, they've now taken to targeting Seventies sitcoms.

John Inman was best known for playing the effeminate shop assistant Mr Humphries in the BBC's long-running comedy Are You Being Served?

Disc jockey Paul Gambaccini and former Prime Minister Edward Heath (pictured), who is also dead, have also been accused of historic sex abuse

A 48-year-old man has responded to the police promise that all allegations of sex abuse — no matter how bizarre or unfounded — will be believed, by claiming Inman sexually assaulted him at a Torquay hotel in the Seventies.

Inman's character was famously camp, so he must be guilty. Stands to reason, dunnit, guv?

Perhaps the Torquay hotel in question was Fawlty Towers. In which case, no doubt John Cleese can expect a 6am knock on the door from the heavy mob any day now.

In one episode, The Psychiatrist, Basil is caught fondling the breast of a young, female Australian guest. His explanation that he was only reaching for the light switch cuts no ice with Sybil — nor, I imagine, would it convince Hyphen-Howe's historic sex crimes stormtroopers.

How long before Cleese is hauled away in chains and charged with sexual assault?

Following the allegation against Inman, I'm surprised the Savile Squad hasn't already mounted a dawn raid on Grace Brothers...

Traffic in London's West End was brought to a standstill today as Scotland Yard sent a 200-strong squad of specialist officers to raid a well-known department store.

A spokesman said they had received credible and true information that serious historic sex crimes dating back to the Seventies had been committed on the premises.

The Press bureau refused to confirm or deny the name of the store in question, even though the building had 'Grace Brothers' above the main entrance in neon lights.

Former Home Secretary Leon Brittan (pictured) died with false allegations of abuse still hanging over his head

Armed officers in balaclavas could be seen rappelling down the side of the building from the rooftops, throwing stun grenades and tear gas through windows to catch the suspects off guard.

While a police helicopter hovered overhead, teams of detectives, accompanied by a BBC camera crew, battered down the front door and swept from floor to floor gathering evidence. Sources said they first became aware that the store was a den of iniquity when a shopper known only as 'Nick, Nick' reported hearing disturbing references to 'Mrs Slocombe's pussy' coming from a changing room in ladies' lingerie.

A middle-aged woman with purple hair was seen being led away in handcuffs, protesting loudly as she was thrown into the back of a Black Maria. Police also arrested a men's outfitting assistant, believed to be a Mr Lucas, for serial sexual battery.

He is accused of repeatedly making unwanted advances to a female colleague, Miss Brahms, and pinching her bottom without obtaining the necessary consent in writing, in triplicate.

Marksmen surrounded the executive dining room on the sixth floor, where a dirty old man known only as 'Young Mr Grace' was believed to be holed up with two nubile women forced to dress in skimpy nurses' outfits, stockings and suspenders.

A senior officer told reporters that it was almost impossible to imagine the depths of depravity being plumbed in the store.

Eventually they traced their number one target, Mr Humphries, who was surrounded as he was lifting some shirts and casual trousers into a display rack in the gentlemen's essentials department.

Scotland Yard has announced it is launching an investigation into the comedian Benny Hill (pictured in the 1970s)

'Nick, Nick' claims Humphries touched him inappropriately while taking his inside leg measurement during a fitting for a new navy blue pinstripe, three-piece wool worsted, by Saxon Hawk.

The veteran tailoring salesman was taken by surprise after being approached from behind by a pistol-packing policeman who ordered him to assume the position.

One eye-witness, Mr Rumbold, who asked to remain anonymous, told reporters that when the 'Gold commander' leading the operation confronted the suspect, Humphries replied: 'I'm free!'

'No, you're not, chummy. Drop your Daks, you're bleedin' nicked!'

A spokesman said last night that all those arrested will be held in limbo on police bail for the next four years until the case against them inevitably collapses because of 'insufficient evidence'.

And in late-breaking news, Scotland Yard has announced it is launching an investigation into the comedian Benny Hill. After studying video evidence of Hill chasing scantily clad dolly birds round a park in South-West London, they believe they have enough to charge him with a string of historic sex crimes.