Mandelson is released on bail after being quizzed by Scotland Yard’s elite ‘Celeb Squad’: Questions over what prompted ‘unusual’ 4.30pm arrest at disgraced Lord’s £7m home 17 days after his properties were searched over links to Epstein

Peter Mandelson has been released on bail after being interrogated late into the night over allegations he leaked sensitive information to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein while he was trade secretary.

The disgraced former minister was taken away yesterday afternoon by detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s Special Investigations Squad (the Yard’s so-called ‘Celeb Squad’) on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Ten hours later at around 2am, New Labour’s 72-year-old architect was photographed looking solemn as he was led out of Wandsworth police station.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘A 72-year-old man arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office has been released on bail pending further investigation.

‘He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday 23 February and taken to London police station for questioning.

‘This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.

‘To avoid compromising the integrity of the investigation, we cannot provide further information at this stage.’

He was taken from his £7.6 million Regent’s Park home at around 4.30pm yesterday, 17 days after officers searched his properties in London and Wiltshire.

There were questions last night about why police waited more than two weeks after these raids to make an arrest.

An ashen-faced Mandelson was seen walking behind Met Detective Inspector Barry Williams, who had a body-worn camera pinned to the lapel of his jacket.

The 72-year-old architect from New Labor was photographed looking solemn as he was led out of Wandsworth police station at around 2am.

Peter Mandelson arrives home after being released from Wandsworth police station

Disgraced former minister Peter Mandelson was taken away by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Special Investigation Team yesterday afternoon.

An ashen-faced Mandelson was seen walking behind Met Detective Inspector Barry Williams (left), who had a body-worn camera pinned to the lapel of his jacket.

Andrew was photographed leaving Aylsham police station in Norfolk shortly after 7pm on February 19.

He and his colleague climbed into the back of an unmarked Ford Focus while a policewoman was sitting in the front seat.

Upon arrival, he would be processed in custody by taking a DNA saliva sample, fingerprints and custody photograph, before being placed in a waiting room pending the arrival of his lawyer.

His arrest came just days after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of the same offence.

Mountbatten-Windsor was interrogated for 11 hours when questioned by Thames Valley Police.

Lord Mandelson is expected to receive similar treatment, including being allowed regular breaks and the right to present ‘interviews without comment’.

Detectives are expected to question him about emails released in the latest installment of the Epstein files, as well as documents seized during searches of two of his homes earlier this month.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed: ‘Officers arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was arrested at an address in Camden and taken to a London police station for questioning.

‘This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.’

The Special Investigation Team, part of Scotland Yard’s central specialist crime division, handles highly sensitive investigations involving high-profile figures and politically influential people.

Its remit includes allegations of crimes committed by people holding public offices, matters connected with the Parliamentary Assembly, as well as electoral fraud and abuse of power.

Former Met detective chief inspector David McKelvey told the Mirror the timing of the arrest was unusual as arrests in ongoing investigations are often made earlier in the day as officers have 24 hours to question a suspect after custody.

He said: ‘When he checks in it will be 7pm or 8pm and unless there is a very quick turnaround he will have to sleep for eight hours, which reduces the time you have.’

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then Duke of York, photographed with then EU trade commissioner Lord Mandelson in Brussels in June 2007.

In this photo, Lord Mandelson is standing in white underwear, talking to a woman in a bathrobe

To make an arrest, officers must have reasonable grounds to suspect that an offense has been committed and meet the ‘necessity test’, which shows that the arrest is necessary for the specific investigative reasons.

Police have not commented on the exact trigger for yesterday’s move and there is no suggestion it was related to any mistake during the investigation.

The dramatic development will put pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, who confirmed Lord Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US in December 2024 despite long-running rows over his relationship with Epstein.

The government yesterday promised to release documents related to the controversial appointment. MPs were told that the first package would be published ‘very shortly, at the beginning of March’. However, Mandelson’s arrest at 16.15 has now cast doubt on this timeline.

Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary Darren Jones said officials were reviewing a large amount of material but planned to release the first tranche soon.

He acknowledged that this was ‘clearly a process that will take some time’ given the size of the request and said the documents were being reviewed to ensure their release would not harm ‘national security or international relations’.

He added that Scotland Yard had advised against the release of some conversations between Downing Street and New Labour’s grand leader for fear of undermining a possible investigation.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘Mandelson’s arrest is the defining moment of Keir Starmer’s premiership.

‘It wasn’t long ago that the Prime Minister looked me in the eye at the PMQs and said he had ‘full confidence’ in Mandelson.

‘It’s time to release the full Mandelson files. We need to know who knew what and when. ‘No more delays.’

Lord Mandelson’s picture and name appear many times in published Epstein files

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood claimed ‘The government’s progress was moving forward on Monday with the urgency of a tired sloth on a bank holiday.’

He added: ‘It’s time for the Government to stop treating Parliament as if they’ve made inconvenient disruptions to their programmes, to stop giving the impression that they’re trying to prioritize whose backs they have, and to start providing some real answers so we can start to get to the bottom of this dark issue.’

Labour’s Andy McDonald referred to his colleague as the ‘master of the files’ and said: ‘There are a lot of people here and across the country who wouldn’t touch Peter Mandelson with a barge pole and they’re trying to understand why this Government doesn’t agree.’

Downing Street yesterday denied reports that it had cut corners on Mandelson’s security review ahead of his appointment in Washington.

Although permission to access top-secret documents was said to have been expedited in weeks rather than months, Number 10 insisted full checks had been completed.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘No part of the review process has been bypassed or removed. It is normal procedure for sponsors to prioritize cases according to distribution deadlines.’

Police raids on Mandelson’s homes took place after the US Department of Justice released three million pages of documents related to Epstein.

Emails included in the files are said to suggest that Mandelson, Gordon Brown’s trade minister and de facto deputy prime minister, and Mountbatten-Windsor, the UK trade envoy, passed potentially sensitive information from official briefings to Epstein.

Documents released in the US show Mandelson may have announced details of potential policy measures, including an asset sales plan, a tax on banker bonuses and a rescue package for the euro, the day before his 2010 public announcement. Gordon Brown accused him of ‘treason’.

Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing. Following the revelations in the Epstein emails, the former minister without a portfolio said he ‘did not remember’ receiving payments totaling $75,000 from Epstein between 2003 and 2004.

Epstein is also said to have paid for an osteopathy course for Mandelson’s husband, Reinaldo Avila Da Silva, in 2009.

Peer insisted he broke no laws and did not act for personal gain, but has repeatedly expressed regret over his friendship with Epstein; This continued after the financier was convicted in 2008 of soliciting sex from a minor.

Given the complexity of the investigation, it is considered likely that, following the conclusion of the interrogation, Lord Mandelson will either be released pending investigation or released on police bail while detectives continue to examine the large amount of material.