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Phone hacking probe by Met faces scrutiny Phone hacking probe by Met faces scrutiny
(about 1 hour later)
The acting head of the Metropolitan Police is likely to face questions later about the investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World.The acting head of the Metropolitan Police is likely to face questions later about the investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World.
Acting commissioner Tim Godwin appears before the Metropolitan Police Authority on Thursday morning. Acting commissioner Tim Godwin will appear before the Metropolitan Police Authority on Thursday morning.
This comes a day after the force said it was launching a fresh investigation after receiving "significant new information".This comes a day after the force said it was launching a fresh investigation after receiving "significant new information".
There has been criticism of Scotland Yard's handling of the case.There has been criticism of Scotland Yard's handling of the case.
A number of public figures have launched civil legal actions against both the newspaper and the police amid allegations the practice of phone hacking was widespread. Meanwhile, the BBC has seen documents that suggest hacking may have been going on as late as last year.
Politicians from both government and opposition have also demanded the police investigate. A number of public figures have launched civil legal actions against both the News of the World (NoW) and the police amid allegations the practice of phone hacking was widespread.
The BBC has seen documents relating to the interior designer Kelly Hoppen that suggest that hacking may have been going on as late as last year.
Ms Hoppen and her stepdaughter, the actress Sienna Miller, are both taking action against the News of the World (NoW).
Scotland Yard's decision to reopen the hacking investigation follows a NoW internal inquiry that led to the sacking of its head of news, Ian Edmondson, on Tuesday.Scotland Yard's decision to reopen the hacking investigation follows a NoW internal inquiry that led to the sacking of its head of news, Ian Edmondson, on Tuesday.
BBC business editor href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/2011/01/news_internationals_new_hackin.html" >Robert Peston has learned that News International, which owns the paper, uncovered four e-mails showing that Mr Edmondson had full knowledge of illegal phone hacking. The details were passed to police. 'Woeful investigation'
News of the World bosses had always maintained that phone hacking ended with Clive Goodman, the royal editor described as a rogue reporter. Together with a private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, he was jailed in 2007. Former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott repeated his call for a judicial review into the force's handling of the case.
On Tuesday the company sacked Ian Edmondson, an assistant editor on the paper, and handed over some of his e-mails to Scotland Yard. "I can't trust them to carry out a proper inquiry and that's why I asked the courts for a judicial review on the Metropolitan Police and the way they've conducted investigations," he told BBC's Newsnight.
Alastair Campbell, who was former Prime Minister Tony Blair's director of communications in Downing Street, also criticised the police.
"Why was none of this done before, either by the newspaper group or by the police? Both of them, I think, still have a lot of things to answer," he said.
The BBC has now seen documents relating to the interior designer Kelly Hoppen which suggest that hacking may have been going on as late as last year. She is the stepmother of the actor Sienna Miller; both are taking action against the News of the World.The BBC has now seen documents relating to the interior designer Kelly Hoppen which suggest that hacking may have been going on as late as last year. She is the stepmother of the actor Sienna Miller; both are taking action against the News of the World.
Kelly Hoppen has successfully won a court order forcing a telephone company to release the identity of anyone allegedly trying to hack her phone between June 2009 and March 2010.Kelly Hoppen has successfully won a court order forcing a telephone company to release the identity of anyone allegedly trying to hack her phone between June 2009 and March 2010.
According to her lawyer, Mark Thomson, the alleged hacker has been named as Dan Evans - a News of the World reporter who was suspended from the paper in April 2010. He is defending the legal action. According to her lawyer, Mark Thomson, the alleged hacker has been named as Dan Evans - a News of the World reporter who was suspended from the paper in April 2010. Both he and News International are defending the legal action.
"I'm very pro-police. I don't like sitting here attacking the police, but their investigation so far has been absolutely woeful, and it's absolutely right another set of officers comes in and looks at this."
BBC business editor Robert Peston has learned that News International, which owns the paper, uncovered four e-mails showing that Mr Edmondson had full knowledge of illegal phone hacking. The details were passed to police.
The new documents seen by the BBC relate to the hacking of a phone owned by interior designer Kelly Hoppen, allegedly by reporter Dan Evans, who was suspended from the paper last year.
Both Ms Hoppen and her stepdaughter, the actress Sienna Miller, are taking action against the newspaper.
A NoW spokeswoman confirmed Mr Edmondson's sacking, and said the paper would take "swift and decisive action when we have proof of wrongdoing".A NoW spokeswoman confirmed Mr Edmondson's sacking, and said the paper would take "swift and decisive action when we have proof of wrongdoing".
Mr Edmondson was suspended from active duties last month after he was identified in court documents as having instructed private investigator Glenn Mulcaire to access phone messages.Mr Edmondson was suspended from active duties last month after he was identified in court documents as having instructed private investigator Glenn Mulcaire to access phone messages.
Media storm
Mulcaire was jailed for six months in January 2007 alongside royal editor Clive Goodman, who was sentenced to four months, for hacking into the mobile phones of royal aides.Mulcaire was jailed for six months in January 2007 alongside royal editor Clive Goodman, who was sentenced to four months, for hacking into the mobile phones of royal aides.
A source at News International told the BBC: "We have decided to root out and hunt down anyone connected with this practice. We are determined to end this."A source at News International told the BBC: "We have decided to root out and hunt down anyone connected with this practice. We are determined to end this."
The source insisted that no other newspaper executive, present or former, was implicated in the new evidence, but BBC home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds said that may not be the case.The source insisted that no other newspaper executive, present or former, was implicated in the new evidence, but BBC home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds said that may not be the case.
"I've been told by two sources that Mr Edmondson has evidence himself that might implicate other senior people at the News of the World, so clearly this has opened a whole can of worms," he said."I've been told by two sources that Mr Edmondson has evidence himself that might implicate other senior people at the News of the World, so clearly this has opened a whole can of worms," he said.
The new Met inquiry follows the resignation last week of Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman Andy Coulson, who said the media storm surrounding ongoing hacking claims had distracted him from his work.The new Met inquiry follows the resignation last week of Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman Andy Coulson, who said the media storm surrounding ongoing hacking claims had distracted him from his work.
Mr Coulson edited the News of the World from 2003 to 2007 and resigned following the convictions of Goodman and Mulcaire.Mr Coulson edited the News of the World from 2003 to 2007 and resigned following the convictions of Goodman and Mulcaire.
However, he has always denied having any knowledge of hacking, and a source close to him has told the BBC he is not implicated in any way by the new evidence that has come to light.However, he has always denied having any knowledge of hacking, and a source close to him has told the BBC he is not implicated in any way by the new evidence that has come to light.
Labour MP Chris Bryant, who believes he may have had his phone hacked and is seeking a judicial review against the police over their handling of information, welcomed the new investigation. Both News International and reporter Dan Evans are defending the legal action against them.
He said: "It just goes to show that the Met never did a full or proper investigation in the first place and that they completely failed to follow every avenue of investigation.
"It is a scandal that it is only through the civil actions that people are bringing that the Met are being forced to act and we are beginning to see the full scale of what went on."
Meanwhile, former MP Paul Marsden has said he may take legal action against newspaper group Trinity Mirror over alleged phone hacking in 2003. The group said its journalists worked within the law.