New probe into 'Britain's most corrupt cop' after Mirror reveals 'flawed' inquiry

A probe into Britain's most crooked police officer has been stepped up in a bid to find colleagues who helped frame innocent men more than 50 years ago, the Mirror can reveal.

British Transport Police bowed to pressure after a Mirror probe revealed a "flawed" investigation into corrupt Det Sgt Derek Ridgewell stretched to just nine pages. He stitched-up at least 12 innocent men in a racist campaign of corruption during the 1970s. Ridgewell, who died in jail aged 37, made millions with gangs after framing mostly Black victims in London, including the Stockwell Six and Oval Four.

Cops claimed they had found all his victims, but since then at least four more innocent men have had their cases referred to the Court of Appeal. And this week a 12th victim, Errol Campbell, is expected to have his conviction quashed posthumously. Now the Mirror can reveal the BTP is "reviewing records" into Ridgwell's "corrupt practices" and looking for "officers who were associated with Ridgewell or may have assisted him in his criminal activity".

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They also said "additional resources" have been ploughed into the investigation. It comes just months after the Mirror obtained a report which revealed the officers' failure to scour records meant there could be more victims.

Today one of Ridgewell's victims, Winston Trew, 74, branded the move "too little too late". Mr Trew spent nearly 50 years trying to overturn his conviction after Det Sgt Derek Ridgewell arrested him and four others at Oval Tube, South London, in 1972. They were beaten and jailed for eight months for assaulting an officer, but their convictions were overturned in 2019 by the Court of Appeal. Mr Trew said the experience destroyed his life and has warned there could be "hundreds" of others yet to bring their cases to Royal Courts of Justice.

Speaking today, Mr Trew said: "[The review] is a step in the right direction, but it's still too little too late. The damage has been done already. It ruined my life but I've had to bounce back."

Assistant Chief Const Charlie Doyle said: “We can confirm that BTP is continuing to review records relating to the corrupt practices of former BTP Det Sgt Derek Ridgewell. This includes those relating to officers who were associated with Det Sgt Ridgewell or may have assisted him in his criminal activity.

"The review team has recently been provided with additional resources to support its work. The review is considering historic investigations and convictions from the 1970s in London and South England to establish whether there are any further potential victims of corruption. As part of the review, we will continue to share information with the Criminal Cases Review Commission and work with those affected, their families and their legal teams."

The initial review, commissioned after several convictions were overturned, claimed all victims were identified but failed to identify the case of Saliah Mehmet, cleared last year - three years after the report was finished. It also identified other officers who "colluded" with Ridgewell but seemingly failed to quiz them as they had retired.

And investigators contradicted statements by senior BTP officers who said they "examined all available records" - because in reality they had been "unable to obtain case files for Ridgewell's investigations". A hoard of vital documents on Ridgewell had also been destroyed.

The report accepted there are "victims of gross miscarriages of justice" who should get "full and unreserved public apologies". Its author added: "It is unfortunate the relevant records are no longer available as I have been unable to identify further cases."

This week [THURSDAY] the family of Errol Campbell will see his case heard in the Court of Appeal - five decades after he was jailed. He was convicted in April 1977 of theft and conspiracy to steal from a goods depot in South London. Mr Campbell appealed his conviction in 1978, but the conviction was upheld. He went to his grave in October 2004 having never seen justice.

Appeal judges are expected to overturn his conviction. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed in March 2025 that it would not be contesting Mr Campbell’s posthumous appeals. They said Mr Campbell’s case “is materially indistinguishable" from other victims who had seen their convictions quashed.