Former police chief ‘covered up grooming scandal to avoid racial tensions’

From The Telegraph

A former senior police officer who allegedly covered up a grooming scandal has been reported to the National Crime Agency by Chris Philp.

The shadow home secretary has asked the agency to investigate claims that a chief superintendent with West Yorkshire Police blocked attempts to look into grooming allegations at a children’s home in Bradford.

The allegations were made by retired Det Ch Insp John Piekos, who claimed the police chief told him to stop investigating the grooming for fear of stirring up racial tensions in the community.

Mr Philp said Mr Piekos was willing to provide a full statement to the NCA, attend an interview and give evidence under oath to support his claims about the cover-up.

The shadow home secretary provided the NCA with the name of the former chief superintendent but did not make the details more widely available.

In a letter to Graeme Biggar, director general of the NCA, Mr Philp said: “I believe that [redacted] reported behaviour in his capacity as a police chief superintendent amounts to the common law offence of Misconduct in Public Office. “Misconduct in Public Office concerns ‘serious wilful abuse or neglect of the power or responsibilities of the public office held.

Mr Piekos began investigating a children’s home in 2010, when he was working for a charity after having left the police.

“He observed multiple incidents of children going missing late at night. John said these girls would often be gone for long periods of time,” he said. “As part of his investigation, one night he followed a car that collected a girl from the home and he then witnessed the young girl apparently being abused in the car. He believed the driver to be of Asian heritage.”

A meeting was organised with police, social services and local children’s charities, chaired by the then Bishop of Bradford, to consider the allegations and what action should be taken.

Mr Piekos alleged that he was told by a senior social services officer following the meeting that “if he did not stop looking into the situation” they would have him arrested.

While driving back to his office in Manchester, Mr Piekos was also called by the former chief superintendent, warning him off investigating further. . .[Redacted] went on to say all this work was being put in jeopardy because the far Right would use this to start rioting and fomenting hatred between the various community groups.

It was clear to John that [redacted] was primarily concerned about community cohesion and racial tension, not the sexual abuse of young girls. John recounts that he then said to [redacted]: ‘This is not about race; this is about protecting little girls . . .and [redacted] replied, ‘Can’t you just go away.’

“John says he replied: ‘Seriously… you just want me to go away?’ [Redacted] repeated that John did not know what he had strayed into, and the call ended shortly afterwards.”