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Leveson inquiry: John Yates, Andy Hayman, Peter Clarke - live Leveson inquiry: John Yates, Andy Hayman, Peter Clarke - live
(40 minutes later)
10.56am: Calrke says that after the arrest of News of the World royal reporter Clive Goodman on 8 August 2006, it became immediately apparent that the police weren't going to get any co-operation from News International.
He was briefed that News International had obstructed a raid in Wapping and its solicitors Burton Copeland had not been unco-operative. "This was a closing of the ranks from very early on," he says.
That sort of attitude would usually have made him more determined to pursue the matter, but he had to take into context the realities at the time.
10.55am: Clarke says the parameters were set at the beginning of the phone–hacking investigation - which involved the expectation of arrests, but also deterrents to prevent it happening in the future. This involved working with the mobile phone companies.
10.53am: Clarke says it is highly likely that others were involved in phone hacking:
It's the cynical view of an old police officer that if someone is arrested for burglary it's only a slim chance it's their first time as a burglar.
10.52am: Clarke is asked about the phone-hacking inquiry and the issues of protecting the royal family.
He decided the investigation should stay within his anti-terrorist unit for operational reasons – it wouldn't have made sense to move the investigation into a royal threat out of the unit.
10.47am: Clarke says the team investigating phone hacking was extremely stretched because of the terrorist threat. He himself didn't have enough resources at the time for anti-terrorism.
Clarke explains he had to borrow officers from all over the country at the time to assist in anti-terrorism – 1,000 extra were drafted in in 2006.
By January 2007, he still had about 200 officers on loan from elsewhere. These were highly specialist oficers, says Clarke.
"These were precious resources which I had been dragging from across the British police for a number of years. I hope that gives some context to the scale of the threat," he says.
"Allied to which in 2005 we had 52 people murdered and some 800 people injured in the attacks in London. The subequent airline plot was designed to kill thousands of people. That was the context in which I had to prioritise … the resource available in the anti-terrorist branch."
10.45am: Clarke says around this time there were 70 anti-terrorist operations under way in the UK.
The first two of these very large operations – the fertilister bomb plot and the dirty bomb plot – in 2004. Then in July 2005 there was 7/7 London bombings.
"In between these there was a plethora of cases that were a threat to the public."
He says the resources required to control the threat of suicide bombers are often underestimated. He says the number of staff required was "far in excess" of those required to contain threats such as Irish terrorism.
They had an "unprecedented number of surveillance teams" involved in the fertiliser bomb threat which may have been used to blow up a nightclub or a shopping centre. All of the surveillance teams in London were used on this.
This went on for two or three years and culminated with arrests in August 2006 that coincided with the phone-hacking investigation.
10.44am: Jay asks if it is standard practice that decision logs are not shown to the deputy assistant commissioner. Yes, says Clarke.
Jay asks why. Clarke says his role is to be aware of the overall strategy and how an investigation fits into the overall objectives that a branch of the Met is trying to achieve.
10.40am: Jay asks how often Andy Hayman, who was immediately senior to Clarke, was briefed.
"Probably not very often," says Clarke.
He say she remembers when Goodman and Mulcaire came into the picture Clarke gave him his first briefing, because this was the first time that it was suspected that it was the media who were hacking the phones of the royal household. This was around May 2006 – months before the pair were arrested.
There were informal briefings subsequently and other briefings that Philip Williams, the senior investigating officer, gave to Hayman at the time.
10.37am: Jay moves on to Operation Caryatid, the Met's 2006 phone-hacking inquiry. Clarke says there were regular briefings between him and the investigating officers.
Jay says these briefing meetings do not seem to be minuted or documented, and asks if this is standard practice.
Clarke says it is, but "the product of the meetings" would be expected to go into the senior investigating officer's decision log.
10.35am: Clarke says there is a need for guidelines for contact with the press but stresses they "do need to be flexible and do need to take account of the particular circumstances".
He says it would be unhelpful to have rigid guidelines that would force the higher ranks of the force to comply with the same rules as junior officers.
10.34am: Jay cites the example in Clarke's written evidence of a 2007 Met leak inquiry in which the "culprit" was caught.
10.32am: Over his experience over 30 years, the extent of leaks from the MPS has been "greatly exaggerated," says Clarke in his statement.
He cites an example of an anti-terrorist operation on 29 July 2005 that was discussed in evidence from Brian Paddick to the Leveson inquiry on Monday.
The intelligence was developed overnight and ended with a stand-off with alleged terrorists and armed officers in a building in London. There was a huge interest in the media and there was a suggestion at the Leveson inquiry that this was because of a leak.
Clarke says the truth of the matter is that locals tipped of the media.
"Over the hours, the amount of local disruptions ... clearly the media heard about it and they turned up," he adds.
10.28am: The inquiry hears that Clarke has only two items in the Gibson Hospitality Register. These were a 2005 rugby game against Australia and a 2006 football game at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff.
Meetings with the Crime Reporters' Association did not feature on the register. This is an unofficial grouping of crime reporters and correspondents in British media. It did not include international media, unfortunately, says Clarke.
10.25am: Clarke says he could give off-the-record briefings to "responsible journalists" about alleged terrorists who were facing legal action.
He was "safe in the knowledge" that the journalists would not report what he was telling them because it was part of the case that was coming to court and would have been sub judice.
10.23am: Clarke is asked about the difference between the public interest and the police interest.
He says the reason why he had engagement with the media "in any shape or form" was to "help the public, keep the public safe" in order to give the public confidence so they could bring forward information that would diminish the anti-terrorist threat.
"I was not interested in making the police look good, that was not my agenda," he says.
10.19am: Clarke is talking about a meeting with editors at which Rupert Murdoch unexpectedly appeared.
Clarke explains the briefing happened after August 2004, when a terrorist had been arrested and there had been clear evidence he had tried to construct a dirty bomb in the UK.
[Met commissioner Sir] John Stevens saw some of this evidence and he was appalled by it, and he directed that he and I should visit a whole range of media outlets … we saw the editors of all the national newspapers.
10.16am: Clarke says he had off-the-record briefings and lunches with the Crime Reporters' Association when he was head of the anti-terrorism unit. He says there was clear scepticism about terrorism in the late 1990s and it was felt it was important to have more informal contact with the media.10.16am: Clarke says he had off-the-record briefings and lunches with the Crime Reporters' Association when he was head of the anti-terrorism unit. He says there was clear scepticism about terrorism in the late 1990s and it was felt it was important to have more informal contact with the media.
He said over the period he was in charge he probably had six lunches with the CRA. They discussed broad issues of strategy and tried to address scepticism and instil a sense of confidence in the force among the Muslim community.He said over the period he was in charge he probably had six lunches with the CRA. They discussed broad issues of strategy and tried to address scepticism and instil a sense of confidence in the force among the Muslim community.
"The purpose was not to make the police look good, but to try to balance the discussion, so the community could have confidence," says Clarke."The purpose was not to make the police look good, but to try to balance the discussion, so the community could have confidence," says Clarke.
10.12am: Clarke is being asked to characterise the relationship between the media and the police, when he was assistant commissioner level in 1999, when he was head of royal protection.10.12am: Clarke is being asked to characterise the relationship between the media and the police, when he was assistant commissioner level in 1999, when he was head of royal protection.
He says it is impossible to describe an overall culture across the Met, as it varies between different departments.He says it is impossible to describe an overall culture across the Met, as it varies between different departments.
When he was commander of royalty and diplomatic protection he had very little contact with the press, he explains. When he went to the anti-terrorist branch, there was a very clear operational requirement to have more contact with the media.When he was commander of royalty and diplomatic protection he had very little contact with the press, he explains. When he went to the anti-terrorist branch, there was a very clear operational requirement to have more contact with the media.
10.09am: Clarke joined the police in 1977 and retired in 2008 when he was assistant commissioner, specialist operations.10.09am: Clarke joined the police in 1977 and retired in 2008 when he was assistant commissioner, specialist operations.
He was in charge of S013, the anti-terrorist unit which also handled royal protection, from 2002 to 2008. SO13 was was tasked with investigating phone hacking in 2006.He was in charge of S013, the anti-terrorist unit which also handled royal protection, from 2002 to 2008. SO13 was was tasked with investigating phone hacking in 2006.
10.08am: Peter Clarke is the first witness to give evidence.10.08am: Peter Clarke is the first witness to give evidence.
Robert Jay QC, counsel to the inqquiry, is doing the questioning.Robert Jay QC, counsel to the inqquiry, is doing the questioning.
10.07am: The inquiry has started with a rebuke by Lord Justice Leveson for core participants who allegedly have leaked witness statements before they are formally read into the inquiry.10.07am: The inquiry has started with a rebuke by Lord Justice Leveson for core participants who allegedly have leaked witness statements before they are formally read into the inquiry.
9.52am: Hayman was given grilling by the home affairs select committee last year.9.52am: Hayman was given grilling by the home affairs select committee last year.
Tory MP Lorraine Fullbrook said the public would see him as a "dodgy geezer" and accused of "cosying up to News International".Tory MP Lorraine Fullbrook said the public would see him as a "dodgy geezer" and accused of "cosying up to News International".
"More like Clouseau than Columbo," said the committee chairman Keith Vaz."More like Clouseau than Columbo," said the committee chairman Keith Vaz.
When he joined the Metropolitan police he was dogged by allegations about his private life, his expense claims and allegedly botched anti-terrorist operations.When he joined the Metropolitan police he was dogged by allegations about his private life, his expense claims and allegedly botched anti-terrorist operations.
9.51am: Welcome to the Leveson inquiry live blog.9.51am: Welcome to the Leveson inquiry live blog.
Three heavy hitters will give evidence today – all former senior Scotland Yard staff who, in one way or another, got embroiled in the phone hacking scandal.Three heavy hitters will give evidence today – all former senior Scotland Yard staff who, in one way or another, got embroiled in the phone hacking scandal.
Ex-assistant commissioner John Yates, who was forced to resign over the scandal last summer, will give evidence by satellite at noon. He is now working for the Bahraini police force,Ex-assistant commissioner John Yates, who was forced to resign over the scandal last summer, will give evidence by satellite at noon. He is now working for the Bahraini police force,
Yates resigned last July amid criticism of his decision in 2009 not to reopen the phone-hacking investigation after the Guardian published a story revealing that the illegal practice was more widespread than previously believed.Yates resigned last July amid criticism of his decision in 2009 not to reopen the phone-hacking investigation after the Guardian published a story revealing that the illegal practice was more widespread than previously believed.
Also up is the Met's former deputy assistant commissioner Peter Clarke, who told MPs last year there was "prevarication and what we now know to be lies" told by News International, which he claimed deliberately tried to thwart a police investigation.Also up is the Met's former deputy assistant commissioner Peter Clarke, who told MPs last year there was "prevarication and what we now know to be lies" told by News International, which he claimed deliberately tried to thwart a police investigation.
Clarke was head of the Met's anti-terrorism unit SO13 in 2006 during the first phone-hacking investigation, Operation Caryatid, and reported to assistant commissioner Andy Hayman.Clarke was head of the Met's anti-terrorism unit SO13 in 2006 during the first phone-hacking investigation, Operation Caryatid, and reported to assistant commissioner Andy Hayman.
Deputy assistant commissioner John Yates was responsible for the specialist crime unit at the time and had no involvement in specialist operations, including SO13.Deputy assistant commissioner John Yates was responsible for the specialist crime unit at the time and had no involvement in specialist operations, including SO13.
He was named yesterday at the inquiry as the man who decided not to widen the original phone hacking inquiry in 2006, despite seizing evidence from Glenn Mulcaire's home that suggested as many as "418 or 419" phone hacking victims and evidence which suggested it wasn't just the royal editor who was hacking phones.He was named yesterday at the inquiry as the man who decided not to widen the original phone hacking inquiry in 2006, despite seizing evidence from Glenn Mulcaire's home that suggested as many as "418 or 419" phone hacking victims and evidence which suggested it wasn't just the royal editor who was hacking phones.
Clarke may also face questions after reports he gave Rupert Murdoch a face-to-face briefing over an ongoing anti-terror operation.Clarke may also face questions after reports he gave Rupert Murdoch a face-to-face briefing over an ongoing anti-terror operation.
The third witness is former Met assistant commissioner Andy Hayman.The third witness is former Met assistant commissioner Andy Hayman.
Hayman, who became a columnist for the Times after retiring from Scotland Yard, was described as "a dodgy geezer" and "more Clouseau than Columbo" by an MP on the Commons home affairs select committee.Hayman, who became a columnist for the Times after retiring from Scotland Yard, was described as "a dodgy geezer" and "more Clouseau than Columbo" by an MP on the Commons home affairs select committee.
Former Met commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson was due to give evidence today but has been rescheduled for Monday.Former Met commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson was due to give evidence today but has been rescheduled for Monday.
Please note that comments have been switched off for legal reasons. Please note that comments have been switched off for legal reasons.