A POLICE inquiry into allegations of child sex abuse by Ted Heath, the late Tory prime minister, has been condemned as “a terrific waste of money” by a former cabinet secretary.
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster, who was principal private secretary to Heath when he was prime minister from 1970–1974, said last week: “I have been interviewed by two people from the Wiltshire police. They asked me what I did when I was Mr Heath’s secretary at No 10, questions like that. They asked nothing that seemed to me to touch on the allegations at all.”
Asked whether the police had questioned him about Heath’s sexuality, Armstrong said: “Absolutely not. I don’t know what this inquiry is about really.”
Police have told witnesses that the investigation is likely to take more than 12 months. They are interviewing a wide range of friends and colleagues, former staff members and members of the crew of Heath’s yacht, Morning Cloud.
“They are searching Heath’s archive and from what I remember that’s not likely to serve their purpose very much. I think it is an extraordinary exercise,” Armstrong said. “No conclusive outcome can come of it because it cannot be tested in court. If they find there was insufficient evidence then we are left with a kind of smoke without fire. My conviction is that Heath was not a child abuser. It’s a terrific waste of money.”
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A close friend of the former prime minister, Sir Timothy Kitson, who knew Heath for 35 years and was his parliamentary private secretary during his time at No 10 has not been approached by police, even though detectives investigating the claims appealed for witnesses in August. Kitson said last week: “They are spending hundreds of thousands pounds on this, so when are they going to get round to speaking to people like me?”
Heath moved into Kitson’s flat near Vauxhall Bridge for six months after he left Downing Street.
Kitson dismissed the allegations against the former premier.
“It’s just ridiculous. I don’t understand the way the police have behaved, quite honestly,” he said.
At least five police forces are looking at allegations against Heath, who died in 2005. One of the alleged victims, known only as Nick, is the man who sparked the £1.8m Operation Midland inquiry after he claimed that a Westminster VIP paedophile ring had murdered three boys.
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Nick said Heath was a “core member” of the group. Police have been unable to corroborate any of Nick’s claims and critics have labelled him a serial fantasist.
Heath had full-time police protection from when he became prime minister in 1970 until his death. Even when he visited pubs near his Salisbury home he was always accompanied by police officers.
Wiltshire police said: “The investigation is ongoing and we are conducting a number of inquiries. We are not prepared to discuss any detail of the investigation.”