Police arrest two men in historical child sexual abuse inquiry The site of the former Elm Guest House in Barnes, London. Scotland Yard launched Operation Fernbridge after Tom Watson MP claimed that 'a senior aide of a former prime minister' had links to a member of a paedophile ring. Detectives investigating historical claims of child abuse highlighted by a Labour MP have arrested two men on suspicion of sexual offences, Scotland Yard has said. A spokesman for the Metropolitan police said a 66-year-old man from Norfolk and a 70-year-old man from East Sussex were arrested on Wednesday morning and taken into police custody. Scotland Yard launched the investigation, known as Operation Fernbridge, last month after Tom Watson, the Labour MP for West Bromwich East, claimed that a "senior aide of a former prime minister" had links to a member of a paedophile ring. Its inquiries are focusing on allegations of child abuse in the early 1980s at the Elm Guest House and the Grafton Close care home, both in Barnes, south-west London. Speaking in parliament last October, Watson claimed a file of evidence used to convict Peter Righton of importing indecent images of children in 1992 contained "clear intelligence" of a "widespread paedophile ring." Raising the issue during prime minister's questions, Watson added: "One of its members boasts of his links to a senior aide of a former prime minister, who says he could smuggle indecent images of children from abroad. The Metropolitan police commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, said Watson's claims would be treated seriously, and the Met said on Wednesday that other matters raised by the information passed to them by the MP remained "under assessment." Commander Peter Spindler, the head of the Met's specialist crime investigations, said: "This is a complex, multi-agency investigation supported by the NSPCC, Ceop [Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre] and Richmond social services involving non-recent allegations of sexual assault against children." "It is vital that anyone who has been affected by or has information about activity in the early 1980s at the Elm Guest House, or the Grafton Close care home, in Barnes speaks to the NSPCC on their helpline on 0808 800 5000, or their local police," he said. Peter Watt, the director of the NSPCC helpline, said the charity was helping the police and echoed the Met's appeal for information. "We will assist the police in gathering evidence and supporting those who come forward," he said. It's important we recognise the massive impact abuse has on children and young people, often well into their adult life. The charity's 24-hour helpline, which is staffed by trained counsellors, is also available by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk or via text message to 88858. Responding to a report by the Sunday People that the 66-year-old man arrested in Norfolk was a Catholic priest, Father Mark Hackeson from the diocese of East Anglia said: "The church diocese takes safeguarding of children very seriously and so we will be co-operating fully in any way with the police investigation."