Lord Bramall: Former British Army chief calls for Metropolitan Police review

'To have these awful, entirely untrue allegations hanging over one’s head... is really awful'

Lord Bramall (right), former chief of the armed forces during the Falklands war (Rex)

Lord Bramall has criticised the Metropolitan Police for forcing him to clear his name over historical claims of sexual abuse.

The former chief of the armed forces said the investigation failed to properly verify claims that he was part of a high-profile paedophile ring.

Allegations against the 92-year-old D-Day landings veteran were dropped by the Met after a nine-month inquiry that saw him publicly named as a suspect.

Lord Bramall, however, was never arrested and has denied all the allegations since he was interviewed under caution in April 2015 as part of Operation Midland – the police investigation into historical child abuse allegations.

It launched the probe after hearing claims made by a male accuser referred to as "Nick".

Speaking to the BBC Lord Bramall said: "I just don't see how them or any policeman could have believed one word of it without corroboration, which he didn't bother to get. It was I who had to prove that I couldn't have done it."

Shortly after police cleared the army veteran of any wrong-doing in January, he said to the Times: “I think it’s a terrible thing for someone of my age, with an impeccable record of public service... Only now, very grudgingly, do they say they don’t propose to take any action.

“To have these awful, entirely untrue allegations hanging over one’s head, without the police saying there is not a grain of truth in them, is really awful.”

He added: “When [the claims] came out they were so bizarre, grotesque and absurd. I knew there was not one grain of truth in them. I was mystified the police could believe them.”

In a statement released in January, the Metropolitan police said there was insufficient evidence to bring a prosecution against the highly decorated soldier and former chief of the defence staff.

Scotland Yard has faced calls to issue a full apology to Lord Bramall and his family.

Additional reporting by PA