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Senior Met Police staff 'leaked stories' | Senior Met Police staff 'leaked stories' |
(40 minutes later) | |
A "very small number" of senior officers gossiped or leaked stories about the Metropolitan Police to the media, its former commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, has said. | A "very small number" of senior officers gossiped or leaked stories about the Metropolitan Police to the media, its former commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, has said. |
He said these leaks were "deeply unhelpful", "hugely distracting" and caused disharmony among senior staff. | He said these leaks were "deeply unhelpful", "hugely distracting" and caused disharmony among senior staff. |
Sir Paul, who resigned from the job last year, was giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into press standards. | |
The author of a report on the Met and media's relationship is now speaking. | |
In her review, Dame Elizabeth Filkin advised officers to avoid "flirting" and accepting alcohol from journalists. | In her review, Dame Elizabeth Filkin advised officers to avoid "flirting" and accepting alcohol from journalists. |
The inquiry heard Sir Paul believed contact between some senior colleagues and the written media was "closer than he would have liked". | The inquiry heard Sir Paul believed contact between some senior colleagues and the written media was "closer than he would have liked". |
He declined to name individuals, but said there were some who gossiped and leaked stories. | He declined to name individuals, but said there were some who gossiped and leaked stories. |
"I'm referring to a very small number of the management board, who on occasion either gossiped or leaked about stories from within the Met that were deeply unhelpful and added to a continuing dialogue to disharmony within the Met. That was hugely distracting." | "I'm referring to a very small number of the management board, who on occasion either gossiped or leaked about stories from within the Met that were deeply unhelpful and added to a continuing dialogue to disharmony within the Met. That was hugely distracting." |
The inquiry also heard about a long list of lunches, dinners and drinks Sir Paul had had with newspaper journalists and editors, including all but the Daily Express and the Star. | The inquiry also heard about a long list of lunches, dinners and drinks Sir Paul had had with newspaper journalists and editors, including all but the Daily Express and the Star. |
He said he did not favour particular papers, adding: "I'd say for every journalist I've ever met, they'd be delighted if I were indiscreet; my job was to ensure I wasn't." | He said he did not favour particular papers, adding: "I'd say for every journalist I've ever met, they'd be delighted if I were indiscreet; my job was to ensure I wasn't." |
Sir Paul resigned from the Met last July amid the phone-hacking scandal. | Sir Paul resigned from the Met last July amid the phone-hacking scandal. |
He had come under criticism for his links to former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis, who was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications. A subsequent inquiry cleared Sir Paul of all wrongdoing. | |
Mr Wallis had also been working as a public relations consultant for Champneys spa when Sir Paul recuperated there. | |
Sir Paul told the inquiry he had not been unaware of this during his stay. | |
He also said he resigned because the story had become about him, and revealed for the first time that ill health also played a part in his decision, as he feared he might not have the resilience to deal with job pressures. | |
Asked about the police investigation into phone hacking, he said the Met developed a fixed and defensive mindset around hacking in 2009. | |
An original investigation, which began in 2006, had led to the News of the World's royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire being jailed. | |
However, the Met was heavily criticised for limiting the scope of the investigation despite evidence from Mulcaire's notebooks suggesting there could be thousands of hacking victims. | |
Sir Paul said: "What we didn't do is go back and challenge the reasons for those decisions in 2006. | |
"Had that taken place we might have been in a better place," he told the inquiry. | |
Roger Baker from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary - responsible for the inspection of police forces - will also give evidence. | Roger Baker from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary - responsible for the inspection of police forces - will also give evidence. |