Probe of former British Prime Minister Heath sex abuse allegations begins

LONDON, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Claims that accusations of child sex abuse against former British Prime Minister Edward Heath were covered up are under investigation.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), a non-governmental agency charged with investigating complaints against police in England and Wales, announced Monday it would probe whether police in England's Wiltshire county deliberately ended a criminal inquiry after a suspect threatened to expose Heath as a pedophile.

Heath was British Prime Minister from 1970 to 1974. He remained in the House of Commons until 2001, then retired to the Wiltshire area. He died in 2005 at 89.

An IPCC statement said it was investigating whether a criminal prosecution of Heath was not pursued, whether the Wiltshire police "took any steps to investigate" claims against him and if a prosecution against a person who threatened to claim Heath "may have been involved in offenses concerning children" was dropped.

Wiltshire police said it is seeking any witnesses or victims of the alleged crimes, and the Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation said it would cooperate with police, adding an investigation "we wholeheartedly believe will clear Sir Edward's name."