‘Show me the man, and I’ll find you the crime’ is the can-do attitude attributed to Stalin’s chief  of the secret police, Lavrentiy Beria. There’s more than a flavour of that attitude, I think, in Thames Valley Police’s investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Two days ago, the news was led by a story, briefed by the police, that the scope of the investigation into the former Duke of York for possible Misconduct in Public Office was being widened to include questions of sexual misbehaviour. Yesterday, the cops let it be known that they were looking into an ‘allegation that he behaved inappropriately towards a woman at Royal Ascot’ in 2002, and appealed for any accusers – related to this incident or, apparently, incidents as yet unknown to the police – to come forward: ‘Whenever a victim-survivor is ready to engage with us, we’re ready for you, at whatever point that may be.’

The police’s attitude does not speak to me of thoroughness but, rather, of increasing desperation. Is it really routine and proper for the police to be scaring up front-page headlines with a running commentary on the scope and progress of a live investigation?

The police’s attitude does not speak to me of thoroughness but, rather, of increasing desperation. Is it really routine and proper for the police to be scaring up front-page headlines with a running commentary on the scope and progress of a live........

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