Wiltshire Police arrest two in Edward Heath abuse inquiry

Sir Edward Heath was prime minister between 1970 and 1974

Police investigating allegations of historical child abuse against the late Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath have arrested two people.

Wiltshire Police have given no further details about the two individuals, who have been released on bail.

The police probe, named Operation Conifer, began in 2015 after claims against Sir Edward surfaced.

It also "aims to safeguard children and vulnerable adults who may be at risk of abuse today", the force said.

The former Conservative prime minister died at home in Salisbury in July 2005, aged 89.

The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation has said it is confident he would be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Operation Conifer was set up after the Independent Police Complaints Commission began to probe alleged historical corruption.

Information from a retired officer sparked concerns that Wiltshire Police deliberately caused a criminal prosecution against a suspected brothel keeper to fail in 1994.

But earlier this year the IPCC said it had found no evidence the case dropped because she threatened to make allegations against Sir Edward.