Bankers stopped police from uncovering an alleged Tory child abuse scandal unwittingly stumbled on by burglars, a new book claims.

Master thief Brian Reader and his gang found sickening images featuring a prominent Tory cabinet minister during a massive raid in 1971, according to an insider.

The crooks allegedly discovered the vile pictures after tunnelling into a branch of Lloyds in London’s Baker Street and rifling through scores of safety deposit boxes.