A HUNT is under way to find any emails, phone records and notebooks from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s personal pro­tection officers.

The Met are looking into claims that he asked a police bodyguard to uncover private details about sex trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre in a bid to discredit her.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, attending Katharine, Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass service.
The Met has begun searching for emails sent by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s personal protection officersCredit: Getty
 

Virginia Roberts Giuffre holding a photo of herself as a teenager.
Virginia Giuffre holding a photo of herself as a teenCredit: Alamy
 

Sign for New Scotland Yard outside the building.
The Met is looking into claims that Andrew asked his police bodyguard to uncover private details about Ms GiuffreCredit: AP
Emails purportedly claim Andrew gave the officer her date of birth and confidential social security number in the US.

Meanwhile, it is understood at least two of Andrew’s former protection officers have been spoken to by Met cops investigating the claims that he told his bodyguard to dig up dirt on Ms Giuffre.

The Met say they are “considering whether any further assessment or review” of the case is necessary following the emergence of bombshell emails sent by the former prince.

As part of the initial examination of the case, officers are currently trying to establish what material is available.

Source

He is said to have tried to enlist the help of the late Queen Elizabeth’s deputy press secretary Ed Perkins, emailing him on the eve of the infamous photo of Andrew with his arm around Ms Giuffre being published in February 2011.

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Andrew, stripped of his royal titles last month, told Mr Perkins: “It would seem she has a criminal record in the States.”

He added: “I have given her DoB and social security number for investigation with (redacted) the on duty PPO.”

‘Wall of silence’

There is no suggestion his request was acted on. But if it had been it would have breached data protection laws and potentially would have been an offence of misconduct in public office by an officer.

Andrew could then face allegations of assisting misconduct in public office.

The Met probe could pave the way for a full investigation into historic trafficking for sexual exploitation — which it has repeatedly resisted for ten years.

Should the case be investigated, it is certain Andrew would be interviewed by police for the first time since his relationship with paedo tycoon Jeffrey Epstein came to light.

A source told The Sun: “As part of the initial examination of the case, officers are currently trying to establish what material is available.

“They are actively seeking to find emails and communications from Andrew’s royalty protection team, as well as their notebooks.”

Internal Met emails are deleted after six years but electronic devices are held in storage and notebooks of royalty protection officers are kept for 30 years, a source said.

I have to ask why the Met are taking so long to start a proper investigation as there is a clear prima facie case here.

Dai Davies, former head of the Met’s Royal Protection Command

Dai Davies, former head of the Met’s Royal Protection Command, said: “There is enough evidence now for Andrew to be interviewed under caution. He would either say ‘Yes, I did it,’ or ‘No, I didn’t’.

“I have to ask why the Met are taking so long to start a proper investigation as there’s a clear prima facie case here.

A man in a suit passes a red document to another man in a car.
The late Queen Elizabeth’s deputy press secretary Ed PerkinsCredit: Getty Images
 

Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell posing for a photo.
Andrew with 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine MaxwellCredit: AFP
 

Jeffrey Epstein mug shot.
Paedo Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019Credit: Getty
“If it was you or I doing the same thing, asking a police officer to commit malfeasance, then they would have been knocking at our door.”

Mr Davies added that notebooks and records kept by Andrew’s personal protection officers could prove his whereabouts at key times when Ms Giuffre alleged she had sex with him.

She took her own life in April, aged 41. Her memoir, published last month, details being trafficked at the age of 17 to have sex with Andrew. He has always denied any wrongdoing.

But Mr Davies added: “At no time has anyone properly investigated this whole can of worms. There is a wall of silence that needs to be pulled down.”