Met should have told Lord Brittan that rape probe was dropped, says widow

The widow of Lord Brittan has spoken publicly for the first time about the way police handled false allegations of rape against him.

The Metropolitan Police decided the former home secretary had no case to answer, but failed to tell him before he died of cancer.

Lady Brittan said police should have informed him as he battled the disease.

She told the BBC: "I think, particularly for him, he should have known that he was innocent of the charges before he died, but that didn't happen."

Asked how he dealt with the situation, Lady Brittan said: "I think he kept it very much to himself because his major objective during those last few months was to get better, get well, do everything that he could to get well."