Police in the Philippines have obtained a warrant to investigate suspected child sex abuse material found on Meghan Markle’s father’s phone.

It comes after Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Jnr said he discovered ‘hundreds, if not thousands’ of indecent photos and videos at their father’s home in the Philippines.

Mr Markle Sr admitted paying for sex in the south-east Asian country but denies ever having sex with underage girls or possessing child sex images.

The Met Police has said that in 2019, it received a letter in which the author suggested ‘they were writing to raise concerns relating to the security of the Duchess of Sussex’.

The Met added that the letter ‘did not actually contain any information specifically related to security matters; it did contain a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom’.

Today, Metropolitan Police said it has voluntarily referred itself to the police watchdog because it failed to pass on a letter detailing allegations against the Duchess of Sussex’s father to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies.

Following a review, a voluntary referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct ‘in respect of the decision not to inform other law enforcement agencies, and the decision to pass the letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’, the Met said.

Commander Adam Slonecki, who leads the Metropolitan Police’s Protection Command, said: ‘In January 2019, the Met received a letter addressed to our Protection Command, specifically the Fixated Threats Assessment Centre.

‘The author of the letter suggested they were writing to raise concerns relating to the security of the Duchess of Sussex. While the letter did not actually contain any information specifically related to security matters, it did contain a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.

‘The letter was assessed and subsequently passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. The details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.’

‘In recent days, the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has carried out an initial review into our actions following receipt of the letter in 2019.

‘Following that review, a voluntary referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in respect of the decision not to inform other law enforcement agencies, and the decision to pass the letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

‘In addition, it is our intention to make a number of referrals to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies in relation to the allegations contained within the letter. That process is under way and will be completed in the coming days.’

Meghan’s full statement said: ‘I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.

‘In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me.

‘It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.

‘I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them.

‘I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.

‘Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.’

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