Third arrest in child sex abuse inquiry

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A former co-manager of a guest house at the centre of child abuse allegations in the 1980s has become the third person to be arrested after Scotland Yard opened a new inquiry last year.

Haroon Kasir was arrested at an address in west London and was held on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children. Scotland Yard confirmed only that a 69-year-old had been arrested and was released on bail until September.

Two other men, aged 66 and 70, who were previously arrested as part of the Operation Fernbridge inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse at the Elm Guest House in Barnes, south-west London, are due to answer police bail this month.

Detectives began the investigation following claims by MP Tom Watson, who alleged in October last year that information on a paedophile ring had not been followed up.

He said a file of evidence used to convict a man called Peter Righton for importing child pornography in 1992 contained “clear intelligence” of a sex abuse gang.

Last month Charles Napier, 65, was arrested in Dorset under a new strand of the investigation.