Police asking Andrew’s protection officers what ‘they saw or heard’ as part of Epstein files review
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Edited by Alex Smith and Charlotte Hadfield, with Sean Dilley and Daniel Wittenberg reporting from Royal Lodge
Met Police statement follows claims about Andrew’s protection officerspublished at 00:13
Earlier we reported on a statement from the Metropolitan Police, saying it is contacting Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s protection officers to ask what “they saw or heard” during their period of service, as part of their ongoing review into the Epstein files.
This week there have been suggestions in the media that royalty protection officers might have “turned a blind eye” to some of Andrew’s activities, particularly on Jeffrey Epstein’s island.
The Met said it was contacting former and serving officers who may have worked in a protection capacity with Andrew.
It was asking them to “consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard” was relevant to the force’s ongoing reviews and to share any information that could assist them.
The Metropolitan Police has now said that “no new criminal allegations have been made to the Met regarding sexual offences said to have occurred” within its jurisdiction, and urged anyone with new or relevant information to come forward.
Calls for Andrew to be removed from royal line of successionpublished at 00:08
Richard Wheeler and Nick Eardley
Political reporter and political correspondent
Image source,Getty Images
The government is facing calls to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of royal succession, preventing him from ever becoming King.
The King’s brother remains eighth in line to the throne despite being stripped of his titles last October amid pressure over his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
On Thursday, Mountbatten-Windsor was released under investigation following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
The Liberal Democrats and SNP are among those to signal their support for an act of Parliament to remove the former prince from the line of succession.
But some Labour parliamentarians who have been critical of the monarchy told the BBC they were less convinced the move was required – in part because it is so unlikely the former Duke of York would ever get near to the throne.
Metropolitan Police contacting Andrew’s protection officerspublished at 23:10 20 February
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The Metropolitan Police says, separately it is “identifying and contacting former and serving officers who may have worked closely, in a protection capacity, with Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor”.
It says: “They have been asked to consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard during that period of service may be relevant to our ongoing reviews and to share any information that could assist us.”