British police investigating the former prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson are preparing to start interviewing witnesses in Royal and government circles.

It comes as police fear that prosecutors will be “reluctant” to bring charges unless the Trump administration agrees to hand over the original documents from the Epstein files.

The two police forces that have launched full criminal investigations as a result of revelations in the Epstein files have been in discussions with the special crime division of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which authorises criminal charges in England and Wales.

Thames Valley police is investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles’s brother, for misconduct in public office, over claims sensitive material was passed to Epstein while he was serving as a UK trade envoy.

The Metropolitan police is investigating the former Labour grandee Peter Mandelson for misconduct in public office over claims he passed on sensitive information while a cabinet minister to Epstein.

Both men have been arrested and released and are understood to deny wrongdoing.

So far, redacted documents relating to the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates have been published on the US Department of Justice website.

The DoJ, seen as being under Trump’s control, has told British police it will not consider handing over the original documents without a formal request being made. That is a bureaucratic and lengthy process.

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