SALISBURY MP John Glen has defended Wiltshire Police's chief constable over the investigation into allegations that former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath was a paedophile.

A report into Operation Conifer is due to be released on Thursday, but claims about its contents have appeared in the national press in recent weeks.

The Mail on Sunday yesterday ran a double-page story on the report's findings, alongside a comment piece from Mr Glen.

In the article, Mr Glen wrote that he was appalled at the insensitive and ill-judged way the inquiry was launched with an appeal for witnesses outside Sir Edward's Salisbury home Arundells in 2015.

But he said he had become increasingly concerned at the repeated attacks on the inquiry, which he said were "seemingly designed to discredit it before it even sees the light of day".

He said it was deeply unfair that the "dedicated and principled" chief constable Mike Veale had been pilloried and his competence and professionalism questioned.

While condemning Scotland Yard’s "disgraceful hounding" of former Tory Home Secretary Sir Leon Brittan, Mr Glen said Mr Veale had done the right thing by deciding to judge each allegation against Sir Edward on its own merits, however unpleasant and controversial.

He said Mr Veale had made extraordinary efforts to ensure the inquiry was proportionate and appropriate.

Mr Glen wrote: "This inquiry was never going to ‘prove’ Sir Edward’s guilt one way or the other.

"Only a court of law can do that and obviously the former PM can no longer face trial. But Operation Conifer may at least shed some light on whether he should have done."

When asked to comment on reports in the national press ahead of the summary report's official publication, a spokesman for the force said: "We will not be commenting on any operational detail until such time we publish our report.

"The operational security of the investigation and the anonymity of the people who have come forward remains of paramount importance to Wiltshire Police. It is for that reason that we strongly discourage any speculation concerning any investigation detail and/or outcome."

The National Police Chiefs' Council gave no comment.