Essex Police assessing Stansted Airport private flights tied to Epstein files

An investigation found 87 flights linked to Jeffrey Epstein had arrived or departed from UK airports between the early 1990s and 2018

Essex Police is looking into claims that emerged in the Epstein files (Court documents)

Essex Police are assessing information regarding private flights departing and landing at Stansted Airport after the release of the Epstein files.

Nearly 90 flights linked to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein had arrived at or left from UK airports between the early 1990s and 2018, some with British women onboard who say they were abused by Epstein, according to a BBC investigation in December.

Last week former prime minister Gordon Brown called for British police to “urgently” re-examine claims women or girls were trafficked to the UK aboard these flights in an article for the New Statesman.

The former politician said the recently published files showed the paedophile financier’s jet – the so-called Lolita Express – making 15 flights to or from UK airports after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a child.

Jeffrey Epstein's private jet 'Lolita Express' (left) (US Department of Justice)

An Essex Police spokesperson said: “We are assessing the information that has emerged in relation to private flights into and out of Stansted Airport following the publication of the US DoJ Epstein files.”

Stansted Airport said previously that all private aircraft at the airport operate through independent operators and immigration and customs checks for passengers arriving on private aircraft are carried out directly by border force.

The BBC’s investigation in December found that three of the women who were allegedly trafficked by Epstein were named in his flight records in and out of the UK.

Mr Brown said: “The emails tell us in graphic detail how Epstein was able to use Stansted Airport – he boasted how cheap the airport charges were compared to Paris – to fly in girls from Latvia, Lithuania and Russia.

“Stansted was also where women were transferred from one Epstein plane to another; women arriving on private planes into Britain would not need British visas.”

Stansted Airport said all private aircraft at the airport operate through independent operators (Getty/iStock)

The former prime minister said the scale of the trafficking would have become apparent if an investigation had been conducted into the flights.

“It seems the authorities never knew what was happening: evidence the BBC has uncovered shows incomplete flight logs, with unnamed passengers simply labelled as “female”.

“To this day, the names of many of the male passengers are unknown because their names were withheld. In short, British authorities had little or no idea who was beng trafficked through our country, and for whom other than Epstein.”

A Stansted Airport spokesperson said: “All private aircraft at London Stansted operate through independent Fixed Base Operators, which handle all aspects of private and corporate aviation in line with regulatory requirements.

“All immigration and customs checks for passengers arriving on private aircraft are carried out directly by Border Force.

“They use entirely independent terminals not operated by London Stansted and no private jet passengers enter the main airport terminal.

“The airport does not manage or have any visibility of passenger arrangements on privately operated aircraft.”

The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said on Monday a group had been set up to support UK police forces that are "assessing allegations" following the publication of the Epstein files.

Thames-Valley Police are reviewing new claims that Epstein sent a woman to have a sexual encounter with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in 2010.

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: “We are assessing the information in line with our established procedures. We take any reports of sexual crimes extremely seriously and encourage anyone with information to come forward.”

The force has also held discussions with specialists from the Crown Prosecution Service over allegations that Andrew shared confidential reports from his role as the UK’s trade envoy with Epstein.

Andrew has previously denied any wrongdoing over his Epstein links, but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.