Lord Brittan’s widow has blasted moves to appoint the Scotland Yard chief who presided over the shambolic VIP child sex abuse inquiry as head of the National Crime Agency.

In a scathing attack, Lady Brittan – whose late husband was falsely accused of VIP sex abuse and murder by serial liar Carl ‘Nick’ Beech – said there is ‘little evidence’ that Bernard Hogan-Howe is a ‘suitable candidate’.

She called for the recruitment process for the director-general of the NCA to be transparent and ‘thoroughly’ consider candidates’ track records for the £223,000-a-year post.

Lady Diana Brittan, the widow of former home secretary Leon Brittan, made her feelings about Bernard Hogan-Howe, a candidate to be National Crime Agency boss, clear in a stern attack

Mr Hogan-Howe oversaw an inquiry about child sex abuse based on false claims targeted at Lady Brittan’s late husband Lord Brittan (pictured together)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly was unhappy that Lord Hogan-Howe was not initially shortlisted for the job (pictured together in 2012)

It comes after reports Boris Johnson was unhappy Lord Hogan-Howe, the PM’s preferred choice, was not initially shortlisted.

With the Government set to reopen applications, sources believe Lord Hogan-Howe could re-apply and land the job. The peer, 64, resigned as Met commissioner weeks before a highly critical judge-led report on the Operation Midland sex abuse inquiry.

Falsely accused former Tory MP Harvey Proctor also wrote to Mr Johnson urging him not to make the ‘cataclysmic’ appointment.

The Home Secretary is responsible for filling the position, but the appointment must also be approved by No 10.

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘A fair and open recruitment campaign is under way.’