Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Six 20240714

The first images of the caputured crew of the British Oil Tanker seized by iran, as tensions increase. And were heading for a heatwave yet more record breaking temperatures are on the way. Good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. He accused some of the uks highest ranking public figures of child abuse, torture, even murder. But today carl beech was found guilty of making it all up. A convicted paedophile himself, beech had said he was sexually abused in the 70s and 80s and pointed the finger at, amongst others, the former Prime Minister edward heath, the ex chief of the Defence Staff lord bramall, the late lord brittan and the former tory mp Harvey Proctor. His allegations led to a two Million Pound Police Investigation that resulted in not a single arrest. Today the police insisted they acted in good faith. June kelly has the story of a fantasist whose lies theatened to ruin reputations. Thats right, fiona. This man is a compulsive liar, and his lies caused terrible stress and damage to those he falsely accused and their families. He has also wasted millions of pounds of public money. The trial he had gone on for more than two months, but it took the jury than two months, but it took the juryjust a matter of hours to find carl beech guilty of all charges. In hours of police interviews, he played the part of a victim. Hours of police interviews, he played the part of a victimli hours of police interviews, he played the part of a victim. I had poppies pinned to my chest whilst they did what they wanted to do. Carl beech claimed he had suffered yea rs of carl beech claimed he had suffered years of sexual abuse and physical torture at the hands of a vip paedophile ring. He even said he had witnessed three boys being murdered by the group, one hit by a car. He wouldnt wake up. He didnt move. There was a lot of blood. But the stories were false, the tears fake. He alleged that in london and beyond in the 1970s and 80s, a paedophile network was operating, made up of establishment figures. Among those carl beech accused was lord bramall, a former chief of the Defence Staff. At the age of 91, he found himself ina at the age of 91, he found himself in a Police Station answering questions. Torture . Are you suggesting that a very Senior Army Officer with an impeccable record was engaging in torture of children . Also falsely incriminated was his long time friend and fellow normandy vetera n long time friend and fellow normandy veteran general sir hugh beach, no relation to the accuser. Sir hugh, 110w relation to the accuser. Sir hugh, now 96, gave evidence to the jury which convicted carl beech. Years he isa which convicted carl beech. Years he is a man who has done enormous damage to people who have done him no harm at all. Beech claimed x tory mp Harvey Proctor had murdered two boys. Other politicians the accused we re boys. Other politicians the accused were the former secretary lord brittan, who died during the Police Investigation, the late conservative Prime Minister sir edward heath, and lord jenner. Prime minister sir edward heath, and lord jenner. Allegations that senior figures in public life sexually abused children more than 30 years ago. In 2014, bbc news made the Police Investigation a lead story. At this point, beech was anonymous and known only by the pseudonym nick. A senior detective spoke for him and his colleagues. They and i believe believe what he is saying to believe believe what he is saying to be credible and true. The investigation, codenamed operation. Northumbria police was then given thejob operation. Northumbria police was then given the job of investigating beech. Officers discovered that the School Governor and hospital inspector was himself a paedophile. At the same time as he was claiming to be an abuse victim, he was downloading hundreds of sexual images of young boys. He also secretly filmed a boy indecently. This photo he took of himself undermined his claim that he had been physically tortured. There were no scars on his body. And so, the big question why did he fabricate his abuse story . One of those falsely accused, Harvey Proctor, lost his home and hisjob falsely accused, Harvey Proctor, lost his home and his job whilst under suspicion. My livelihood was being torn apart, aided by the police. He is now levelling his own accusations against a senior labour politician. Tom watson, the Current Deputy leader of the labour party, gave oxygen to these incredible claims. But tom watson, who met beech, rejects this and Harvey Proctors called for an apology. Beech, rejects this and Harvey Proctors called for an apologylj can proctors called for an apology. can understand why he is angry and upset, but im afraid i dont have anything to apologise to him for. No way didi anything to apologise to him for. No way did i apply pressure on theresa may and Bernard Hogan howe improperly. There is certainly no way they would have responded if i had attempted to do that. Harvey proctor has also criticised the bbcs journalism. Proctor has also criticised the bbcsjournalism. In a proctor has also criticised the bbcs journalism. In a statement, the Corporation Said in 2014, the bbc reported serious allegations in the Public Interest which were the basis of a Police Murder investigation in which the police later described as credible and true. Carl beech has since been exposed as a fantasist and serial liar, not least by an investigation from the bbcs panorama. Meanwhile, the Police Watchdog announced that no Police Officers should face output disciplinary process. Investigating allegations of Sexual Offences is a very challenging and complex area of police work. Those complexities are compounded where those allegations stretch back many decades, as was the case in operation midland. In fact, all the key officers involved in the beech case have now left the force. He deliberately set out to ruin other peoples lives and reputations, but it is carl beech himself who now stands convicted of being a paedophile, a fraud and a liar. June kelly, bbc news, newcastle crown court. The foreign secretaryjeremy hunt has warned iran that the uk is seeking to put together a european led Maritime Mission to protect ships passing through the strait of hormuz after a british registered tanker was seized by there by iran last week. Its the latest development in the growing tension in a globally critical region. On one side are the arab states, including a number of key allies. On the other, iran. Between them the strait of hormuz at its narrowest point its only 21 miles across. But in total a fifth of the worlds oil exports are squeezed through this narrow channel. So any disruption there affects Global Oil Supplies and, as a result, oil prices. Our Diplomatic Correspondent James Robbins has the latest. The iranians flag now flies above ste na the iranians flag now flies above stena impero, the british registered tanker seized on friday. On board, the crew appeared relaxed, but we have no idea of the circumstances of this iranians filming. The family of one of them confirmed to the bbc that this is indeed the ships crew. The tanker was taken by irans revolution a literary guard corps, who issued this radio warning before boarding. If you are bay, you will be safe. Alter your course to 360 degrees immediately, over. The foreign secretary jeremy degrees immediately, over. The foreign secretaryjeremy hunt is now calling the iranians action state piracy. He has talked to allies about a possible european led Maritime Force for the gulf, one deliberately designed to keep the more hawkish United States at arms length. If iran continues on this dangerous path, they must accept the price will be a larger western military presence in the waters along the coastline, not because we wish to increase tensions, but simply because freedom of navigation isa simply because freedom of navigation is a principle which britain and its allies will always defend. Will this crisis only be resolved by releasing the tanker grace 1, accused of carrying oil to syria and seized in gibraltar waters. Iran is accusing britain of piracy. What about the risk of irans for larger conflict with the United States spinning out of control . I dont think anything right now will provoke all out war because i think iran and the United States, neither country wants war. It could escalate in a serious way just by mistake. And those tensions have now increased another notch, with President Trump dismissing as iranians lies a chilling new claim it has arrested 17 cia spies and sentenced some of them to death