Nine British police forces are assessing whether to launch investigations into Epstein-related allegations following claims of human trafficking and sexual assault.

The Metropolitan Police has begun carrying out ‘initial inquiries’ into allegations relating to close protection officers assigned to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

It comes after a former officer claimed that ‘certain members’ of the Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) command may have witnessed abuse at Little St James.

Surrey Police has also urged people with any information about claims of human trafficking and sexual assault relating to the Epstein files to come forward.

The force said the allegations, set out in a redacted report released by the US Department of Justice in December, allegedly took place in Virginia Water between 1994 and 1996.

Essex Police, Thames Valley Police, Bedfordshire Police, Norfolk Constabulary, Wiltshire Police, West Midlands Police and Police Scotland are also considering launching investigations.

Most of the forces are looking into Epstein’s use of various UK airports, which were referenced in flight logs in the files.

The Met Police is examining claims that royal protection officers ‘turned a blind eye’ during visits to Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean.

The unnamed former Met officer said: ‘The big question for me is what Andrew’s protection team witnessed on Epstein’s island.

‘I’m not suggesting they definitely witnessed any criminality from Andrew, but there was concern that certain members of the royal protection team wilfully turned a blind eye to what was happening on the island.’

The disgraced royal’s chief accuser Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, including on Little St James in the early 2000s, claims Andrew has always denied.

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