Sir Edward Health : Wiltshire Police continues to receive calls following appeal

Forde’s comments come after it emerged that the independent inquiry into historic child sex abuse will look into allegations against Sir Edward “should the facts justify it”, according to a spokeswoman for the investigation.

Although Edward Heath’s name connected to claims of child sexual abuse has only become public in the last couple of days, Exaro News, revealed on Tuesday that Scotland Yard have been investigating the former Prime Minister for ten months.

Myra Ling-Ling Forde has been widely named as the brothel owner who reportedly escaped prosecution in the early 1990s, after she threatened to expose Sir Edward as a child abuser. “Detectives are making initial inquiries, and will obtain a full account from the victim”.

He added: “The decision for the case to proceed no further was mine and was based on the lack of evidence and had nothing whatsoever to do with any potential allegations against Edward Heath”.

Wiltshire Police appealed Monday for any witnesses or victims who could support those allegations to come forward and confirmed that Heath “has been named in relation to offences concerning children”.

Operation Midland is part of a wider umbrella of investigations by Scotland Yard, dubbed Operation Fairbank, into allegations of abuse involving senior politicians and high-profile figures.

In response to media inquiries about Heath, a fifth force, London’s Metropolitan Police, said it would not confirm any names in relation to its sex abuse investigations.

The IPCC is looking into whether Wiltshire Police followed up a claim made against Sir Edward in the 1990s.

He said he had been told by police that the large number of reporters at the court that day were there because Forde, who had been on bail, had said she would allege she had provided rent boys for Sir Edward, should the case proceed.

Labour MP Tom Watson has claimed he passed information relating to two allegations of child abuse involving Sir Edward to police since 2012.

“Well I’m bemused and I’m sure he would have been even more bemused because I just don’t for a moment think that there is anything there”, he said.

Sir Edward, who led the Conservative government between 1970 and 1974, never married and was famously reticent about his private life.

The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation said it welcomed the inquiry and wholeheartedly believed it would clear his name.

Away from politics he was noted for his enthusiasm for sailing and classical music.