SEARCHES continued at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home today as the government did not rule out a judge-led inquiry into his Epstein links following his arrest.

The disgraced prince spent 11 hours in custody on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, after allegations he shared sensitive information with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein during his time as Britain’s trade envoy.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government will “look at any sensible proposals that do come forward” on a possible inquiry.

“But it’s premature at the moment, because we do have the police doing their work,” she told Sky.

“They need to have the time and space to do so, as the King set out, no-one is above the law.”

Conservative former security minister Tom Tugendhat called for a special committee of MPs, peers and retired judges to investigate both Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s and Lord Mandelson’s Epstein links.

And former prime minister Gordon Brown wrote to six police forces calling for investigations into whether Mr Mountbatten-Windsor used taxpayer-funded jets and RAF bases during his time as trade envoy to meet Epstein, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

A former head of Scotland Yard’s Royal Protection Command also told the Mirror an independent judge-led inquiry is needed.

Despite being stripped of his title, the king’s brother remains eighth in line to the throne.

An Act of Parliament would be required to remove him, requiring agreement from Commonwealth countries sharing the monarch.

An influential group of MPs are separately considering launching a parliamentary probe into the role of British trade envoys, focusing on governance issues to avoid prejudicing criminal proceedings.

Any inquiry would avoid specific commentary on Mr Mountbatten-Windsor until there is no risk of prejudicing a trial.

The Metropolitan Police has asked his former close protection officers to “consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard” could be relevant to the Epstein investigation.

The force is working with US counterparts to establish whether London airports facilitated human trafficking.

Scotland Yard previously said it was looking into allegations that protection officers turned a “blind eye” to his visits to Epstein’s island.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor denies wrongdoing but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.

His primary accuser, Virginia Giuffre, said he had sex with her and other underage girls on Epstein’s island, which is legally defined as statutory rape.