EX-ROYAL GUARD SAYS ANDREW PROBE MUST GO RIGHT TO TOP

AN independent investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's links to Jeffrey Epstein must go to the very top, a former royal security chief has insisted.

- BY PATRICK HILL

Dai Davies joined MPs in calling for a probe, insisting: "For too long the establishment has taken us, the public, for fools. The truth, warts and all, must come out."

Mr Davies, head of Scotland Yard's Royal Protection Command from 1994 to 1998 told the Mirror:

"We need a judge-led independent inquiry to investigate everything and get answers.

"It needs to have the power to call people at all levels, including people from the Palace, diplomats, private secretaries and press officers to find out exactly who knew what and when."

Referring to a new law being drafted to ensure public officials act with candour and transparency, he said: "The Hillsborough Law needs to be applied to make sure they are all called to tell the truth.

HEART

"I believe there has been a conspiracy of silence at all levels."

Lib Dem MP Layla Moran said: "We want an independent public inquiry to really get to the bottom of what all parts of our state knew.

"What did the police know? What did the Palace know? What did government know? What did Number 10 know at what stage?

"This is critically important. This goes beyond the Crown. It goes right to the heart of the relationship between the establishment and elites.

"Transparency is the way to do this. We need to get to the bottom of all of it, not just Andrew."