Westminster paedophile ring: Were three young boys murdered?

Scotland Yard officers believe the abuse took place at locations in London and the Home Counties, including military bases, between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s.

No further details of the alleged murders were given by officers from the Met’s Operation Midland but they have appealed for abuse victims to come forward.

One alleged victim - known as Nick - claims he was abused from the age of seven to 16 at a number of locations including a flat in Dolphin Square on the River Thames in south-west London.

The proximity to Westminster of the plush residential development of 1,250 flats in Pimlico has made it popular with politicians.

As a result, officers have also appealed to residents or visitors to Dolphin Square at the time in question to come forward.

Nick has alleged that he was abused by single men, groups of men and at “parties”, and that other young boys were present who were also abused, said Detective Superintendent Kenny McDonald, head of Operation Midland.

Midland is one of a number of investigations into alleged abuse by high-profile figures including politicians and others up to 30 years ago.

Mr McDonald said: “Today I want to appeal directly to those other young boys, now men, who were also subject to abuse at the hands of these men.

“I believe that there were other boys who were abused, or who were present while the abuse took place.

“I would ask you to trust me. I will support you, and do everything in my power to find those responsible and bring them to justice. I need your accounts to help me do that.”

Mr McDonald said he could not rule out that more than one flat in Dolphin Square was used to abuse Nick.

“Nick has described how a car would be sent to collect him, and he would be driven to Dolphin Square,” he said.

“The abuse he has detailed that he was subjected to was carried out by a man on his own, a group of men or during what have been described as parties.

“There will be people who lived at, or visited, Dolphin Square from the early 1970s onwards who will have seen or heard something that they only now understand the significance of.”

The detective also revealed that he was working closely with military police in connection with the investigation.

He said: “My team is also investigating the possible murder of three young boys. Our work is ongoing and we are examining reports of missing people from that time.

“To date, we have not recovered any bodies.”

Scotland Yard revealed they had spoken to the family of Martin Allen, who disappeared in 1979 at the age of 15 - but said at this stage it is not possible to say whether his disappearance is linked.

Similarly, Sussex Police are carrying out a review into the disappearance and murder of eight-year-old Vishal Mehotra in 1981. The Met said at this stage it is not possible to decide whether Vishal’s murder is linked to this investigation.