Met Police should question Prince Andrew’s bodyguards, says former royal family protection chief Dai Davies

Scotland Yard was last night urged by a former chief inspector to interview the personal protection officers who accompanied Prince Andrew on trips to meet Jeffrey Epstein.

Dai Davies, former head of royal protection, said the officers may have recorded vital material in their notebooks or diaries.

“Other personnel working for Andrew may also be able to assist in an investigation,” he added.

The officers could also, he said, clarify certain issues, possibly to the prince’s advantage.

Mr Davies has already called on Scotland Yard to interview Prince Andrew cautiously

And he warned that even “some PPOs [personal protection officers] are or were far too close to the Royals, nothing should stop them from answering questions.

“Given the seriousness of the issue and the damage it is causing to the royal family, there must be a professional investigation,” Davies said. ‘Police must collect and find evidence, interview witnesses – and not wait for the evidence to come to them.’

Mr Davies has already called on Scotland Yard to interview Prince Andrew cautiously.

“It is an obscene failure by the Metropolitan Police not to investigate,” he said.

He also revealed that he has concerns about the Met’s handling of allegations involving Andrew, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in the past: ‘I would like to know who decided that they do not warrant any investigation, and at what level was that decided?

“Did it go all the way to the commissioner, or even further to the level of the Home Secretary?”

Details of how college student Johanna Sjoberg was allegedly groped by Andrew at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion in 2001 have been revealed in recently released court papers. The Duke was accompanied at the time by a protection officer who stayed in the house.

Andrew has always denied any allegations of sexual activity with Epstein’s accusers and vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

Prince Andrew walked with pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein in New York’s Central Park in 2011. Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges

The Yard has reviewed the allegations against Andrew at least twice.

In 2021, one of the highest-ranking officers, Commander Alexis Boon, was tasked with reviewing the claims of Virginia Giuffre, née Roberts, in her civil lawsuit.

Detectives reportedly contacted her directly but decided not to take any further action.

In 2016, the Met concluded that it could not investigate the human trafficking allegations relating to Andrew because any investigation would be “largely focused on activities and relationships outside the United Kingdom.”

A spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of the release of court documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein. As with any matter, if new and relevant information is brought to our attention, we will review it.”