Met Police boss: I cannot really apologise for Lord Bramall sex abuse probe

Britain's top police officer has said he "can't really apologise" for his force's widely discredited investigation into sex abuse allegations against D-Day veteran Lord Bramall.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said he had "genuine regret" if the former head of the Army had been "damaged" by the investigation but insisted the Metropolitan Police had been right to investigate the "serious" allegations.

The Met commissioner has said detectives investigating historical sex crimes should not be ordered to believe alleged victims "unconditionally" in the future and has launched a judge-led review of Scotland Yard's controversial handling of claims of a VIP paedophile ring in Westminster amid mounting pressure over Operation Midland.

But Sir Bernard again refused to apologise over the handling of the investigation into Lord Bramall.

"I can't really apologise for investigating a serious allegation and that is what we have done," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"I have expressed regret and it's a genuine regret, if he, Lord Bramall, or his family have been damaged in this process, in this investigation."