DECEASED former Thatcher cabinet minister Leon Brittan objected to the banning of a notorious paedophile rights group, newly disclosed documents revealed yesterday.

The former home secretary, who died in January, has been accused of involvement in child sex abuse after it emerged he was brought in for questioning by police over a historical rape allegation in 2014.

Questions have also been raised over his handling of the issue during his time in office, after a 40-page dossier by the late Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens alleging paedophile activity in Westminster went missing.

Documents obtained by the BBC under freedom of information laws show that Mr Dickens, then MP for Littleborough and Saddleworth, wrote to Brittan on August 17 1983 calling for the government to take action against the Paedophile Information Exchange.