Ex Tory leader Michael Howard leads tributes to 'brilliant' Leon Brittan following his death aged 75

Lord Brittan - pictured as British Trade and Industry
Secretary - with Margaret Thatcher in 1986

The final days of former Home Secretary Leon Brittan were 'dogged by unsubstantiated allegations' of involvement in the abuse of children by Westminster VIPs, friends of the Tory peer said today as his family confirmed his death at the age of 75.

Ex Tory leader Michael Howard led tributes, saying it was 'a shame' Lord Brittan had become caught up in controversy surrounding the failure to investigate claims of paedophilia in the 1980s.

Lord Brittan was accused of failing to act on a dossier of allegations handed to him when he was Home Secretary by campaigning MP Geoffrey Dickens.

An inquiry into historic child abuse allegations has been beset by problems since it was set up last year - after two chairmen were forced to step down over their personal links to Lord Brittan. The inquiry is still without a leader and is yet to formally begin.  (more...)

'It is a tragedy that his last days were dogged by these quite unsubstantiated allegations': Ex Tory leader Michael Howard leads tributes to 'brilliant' Leon Brittan following his death aged 75

A dark figure:

This ‘cloud’ over reputation of Leon Brittan - by child sex campaign MP

The Met confirms to @SkyNews, as Exaro revealed, contrary to media falsehoods, that it was still investigating Lord Brittan over rape claim.
— ExaroNews (@ExaroNews) January 22, 2015

To clarify: police were investigating Lord Brittan at time of his death over claim by female, 19-year-old student that he raped.
— ExaroNews (@ExaroNews) January 22, 2015