Lord Janner inquiry: Officer 'ordered not to arrest MP'

Lord Janner, who was a Leicester MP, died in 2015

A retired detective said he was ordered by a senior officer not to arrest MP Greville Janner, an inquiry heard.

Kelvyn Ashby said his child sexual abuse investigation 30 years ago was "stymied" as the peer was given special treatment and was not arrested.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) also heard about a "chronic lack of oversight" at Leicestershire County Council.

Ex-Leicester MP Lord Janner, who died in 2015, had denied the charges.

The evidence comes from three decades ago when allegations of abuse against Lord Janner were first followed up.

It emerged as part of a huge investigation into Leicestershire children's homes, the inquiry heard.

Home search

Mr Ashby was in charge but said police were overstretched, and did not follow up the first allegation.

He described receiving evidence about Lord Janner repeatedly sexually abusing a boy.

Mr Ashby said he wanted to arrest Lord Janner and search his home, but a senior officer ordered that the MP should rather be invited for interview instead.

He said the MP answered "no comment" throughout that interview.

Prof Alexis Jay is leading the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA)

Mr Ashby said: "I was really annoyed about it. The fact we weren't allowed to arrest him.

"If I'd been arresting a man off the street I would have had plenty of evidence, reasonable grounds for arrest.

"The opportunity for a search was missed. That's key.

"We didn't catch him cold, it was stymied."

When asked by the inquiry barrister if he thought there was no arrest because of preferential treatment, Mr Ashby answered, "absolutely, yes".

It was more than two decades before Lord Janner was charged over that complaint. Mr Ashby said not arresting him at the earlier opportunity, was "one of the main failings".

The Lord Janner case

• Lord Janner was the subject of child sex abuse allegations dating back to 1955.

• Three police investigations took place in the 1990s and 2000s, but no charges were brought.

• Following a fourth inquiry, he was charged in 2015 with offences against nine alleged victims. Police say 38 people accused him of abuse.

• The peer, who suffered from dementia, was ruled unfit to plead, and died aged 87 before a trial of the facts could take place.

• An independent inquiry in 2016 found that the three earlier investigations were "missed chances" to prosecute him.

• Nine of Lord Janner's accusers began the process of suing his estate for damages.

• Three dropped their cases in March 2017 and the remaining six two months later.

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The inquiry also heard about failings at Leicestershire County Council, where concerns were raised by several employees around the same time.

Accepting mistakes were made, the council's barrister described an account from a worker at one of the council's children's homes.

He said a boy had been spending the night in the same room as Lord Janner.

The council's barrister also highlighted how a social services manager allowed what was described as a "friendship", which was "well-known" at a high level.

He said this represented "a chronic lack of oversight".

Lord Janner's family say they believe he "became a target" due to his prominence and money and "believe as totally in our father's innocence today as we always have".

The inquiry continues.