THE Met Police investigation into Lord Brittan was "necessary, proportionate and fully justified", an inquiry by Dorset Police officers has found.

Scotland Yard has faced criticism over its handling of a rape allegation made about the former peer, who died last year unaware that the investigation against him had been dropped.

But a review by Dorset Police agreed the case was more "likely to lead to acquittal than conviction".

The Crown Prosecution Service found in July 2013 that there was not enough evidence for a prosecution over the claim that the former Conservative peer had raped a 19-year-old female student in 1967, but the case was reopened less than a year later.

Officers interviewed Lord Brittan, who was suffering from terminal cancer, in May 2014, but no charges were brought.

Lord Brittan, whose career included two years as home secretary in Margaret Thatcher's government, died in January 2015 aged 75.

Deputy Chief Constable James Vaughan of Dorset Police found the case was led by "skilful and tenacious" officers.

However, he did identify a number of weaknesses with the inquiry including the failure to tape an interview with Lord Brittan because recording equipment broke down.