Nick Bramall gives a mirthless laugh. The murky politics and contradictions of policing have long failed to surprise the son of Field Marshal Lord Bramall MC. But they still appal him. ‘It’s too late for Dad and the other victims, of course,’ he says.
‘Steve Rodhouse has never apologised to us, but he must know what is coming now. He was the man in charge and he should take the rap. I just find it very odd that despite him being involved in so many fiascos, he kept getting promoted.’
So many fiascos? This is a story in which failure apparently breeds success. Almost five years have passed since Operation Midland, the Metropolitan Police’s calamitous investigation into allegations of a VIP sex abuse ring made by an NHS manager called Carl Beech — aka ‘Nick’ — was officially closed down. On that day, March 21, 2016, the then Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Rodhouse, who had overall control of Midland, declared: ‘I haven’t seen any evidence to prove that anyone, Nick or otherwise, has knowingly provided false information to the investigation.’