Sir Edward Heath child sex abuse claims: Five police forces now investigating

A number of investigations are underway into allegations the former Prime Minister sexually abused young people

Five police forces are now investigating former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath over allegations of historic child sex abuse as more people come forward to claim the politician abused them.

The Met, Wiltshire, Kent, Jersey and Hampshire forces are all conducting investigations into the late Conservative politician.

Yesterday evening, Hampshire became the fifth force to say it was looking into “allegations”, reports the BBC. It gave no other details.

The States of Jersey Police confirmed yesterday afternoon that Sir Edward had been a suspect for months as part of Operation Whistle, an inquiry into alleged historic sex abuse on the island.

He is also being investigated as part of Operation Midland, an inquiry by Scotland Yard into claims a ‘VIP paedophile ring’ which was operating in the 1970s and 1980s across London and the south east.

Kent Police said it had received an allegation of sexual assault in the 1960s by a victim who named Sir Edward Heath.

A separate probe is being conducted by the Independent Police Complaints Commission into whether Wiltshire Police failed to pursue claims against the politician in the 1990s.

Wiltshire Police, which issued an appeal for potential victims of Sir Edward to come forward, said it had received a number of calls.

The inquiry against Wiltshire Police stems from claims that a prosecution against a woman, who operated a brothel, was dropped after she said she would reveal details exposing as Sir Edward as an alleged paedophile.

Myra Forde, 67, is alleged to have been the woman. She was reportedly twice been jailed for operating a brothel in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where the politician lived after he left office.