London MP demands answers after US 'smuggled suspected paedophile diplomat out of Britain'

A London MP has demanded answers over an American diplomat being flown out of Britain after he was accused of possessing indecent images of children.The diplomat, working for the embassy in London, was flown to the United States without informing British police after child abuse images were allegedly found on his phone.American authorities are said to have sought a court order in the US before storming the diplomat’s home in Putney on August 25, seizing him and taking him to an RAF base used by US forces for removal.American officers have no powers of arrest in Britain, and there was reportedly no formal request for the man to be extradited. British authorities were apparently only informed after the diplomat’s removal.A source told The Sun: “They should have told Scotland Yard when they carried out the raid, and certainly when they found material.“Instead we think they have taken him to a US airbase and flown him 4,000-plus miles to where his brother was being investigated. We think it was a dawn raid before they then took him to the base in a US military convoy.“The man may well face justice in the US but he should be before the courts here.”Ministers are reportedly in contact with the US embassy over the incident, which could further strain relations between London and Washington.In a letter to Alex Norris, the Justice Secretary, his Conservative counterpart Nick Timothy said he was concerned that the US actions represented “a cover-up” and that the diplomat may have committed offences in the UK, the Telegraph reported.He said: “If this is the case, the diplomat should face trial in an English court.”And now the local MP for Putney Fleur Anderson has weighed in, saying: "No one should be above the law. This incident happened in my constituency but the implications go far beyond Putney."Britain has a close and important relationship with the United States, but that relationship must be built on mutual respect for the rule of law. Diplomatic privileges exist for a purpose; they should never be used to prevent accountability. The public deserve to know how this diplomat, who was accused of particularly repugnant offences, was allowed to leave the country without being properly investigated."Read MoreA Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “On Tuesday August 25, US authorities made us aware of an investigation they are conducting into suspected offences in London relating to indecent images of children. We continue to liaise with them regarding this matter.”A Government spokesman said: “We expect all foreign diplomats in the UK to abide by our laws, in the same way we expect all UK diplomats to do so when posted overseas. As a US investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”A US embassy spokesman said: “We are aware of allegations concerning an individual assigned to the Embassy. The United States government expects all personnel to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, and we take these allegations seriously.“While we can’t comment on the specifics of the case, we quickly informed UK law enforcement and took swift action, and we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners regarding these allegations.“The individual in question has been reassigned to the United States in conjunction with an ongoing investigation. The Embassy has informed British authorities of the case.”