Police Refuse To Apologise To Ex-Army Chief

Police have refused to apologise to a former Army chief over a dropped nine-month investigation into historical claims of child sex abuse made against him.

Field Marshal Lord Bramall saw his home raided by officers from Scotland Yard after the claims were made by one man, before police admitted there was insufficient evidence and announced they were dropping the case.

The 92-year-old war veteran dismissed a lengthy statement from the force as "purely the police justifying themselves".

However he did say he would accept an offer from a senior officer to meet him and explain what happened.

Assistant Commissioner Patricia Gallan said: "I fully recognise how unpleasant it may be to be investigated by the police over allegations of historic abuse.

"For a person to have their innocence publicly called into question must be appalling, and so I have every sympathy with Lord Bramall and his late wife and regret the distress they endured during this investigation."

The force's treatment of the D-Day veteran caused controversy, with London Mayor Boris Johnson one of those who called for Lord Bramall to receive an apology.

Ms Gallan said she will meet the peer at the conclusion of a wider police investigation into historical abuse claims, Operation Midland, to explain the force's conduct.

In a statement issued through his lawyer, Lord Bramall said: "I've got nothing to say, this is purely the police justifying themselves and that's up to them.

"I am glad to say they have offered a senior officer to come and see me and I am willing to speak to them."

Ms Gallan insisted police would be put off looking into claims if they had to apologise when inquiries did not end with charges against a suspect.

"The Metropolitan Police accepts absolutely that we should apologise when we get things wrong, and we have not shrunk from doing so," she said.

"However, if we were to apologise whenever we investigated allegations that did not lead to a charge, we believe this would have a harmful impact on the judgments made by officers and on the confidence of the public.

"Investigators may be less likely to pursue allegations they knew would be hard to prove, whereas they should be focused on establishing the existence, or otherwise, of relevant evidence."

Ms Gallan went on to add that the claims against Lord Bramall were "one part of a detailed set of allegations" which meant it was not possible to clear him "as quickly as we would have liked".

On Tuesday the peer's son, Nicholas Bramall, called for his father's anonymous accuser to be investigated.

In a letter to the Daily Telegraph he said the key witness had been "peddling unsubstantiated and uncorroborated information" that had left his father's distinguished reputation "tainted with the stench of abuse".