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Leveson Inquiry: Ex-Met chief defends health spa break | |
(40 minutes later) | |
An ex-Metropolitan Police chief has defended accepting a free stay at a health spa saying he was desperate to recover from a serious operation. | |
Sir Paul Stephenson resigned last July after being criticised for accepting a free stay at the Champneys luxury spa. | |
He told the Leveson Inquiry he felt under "significant pressure" to return to work and believed the treatment would help speed up that process. | |
The author of a report on the Met and media's relationship is now speaking. | 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. |
'Sense of duty' | |
Sir Paul resigned as commissioner after facing criticism for hiring ex-News of the World executive editor Neil Wallis as a PR consultant. | |
Mr Wallis had also been working as a public relations consultant for Champneys when Sir Paul accepted free accommodation worth thousands of pounds. | |
Sir Paul told the inquiry he had not been unaware of this during his stay. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing. | |
But Britain's former top policeman told the inquiry into press standards he might not have resigned had it not been for his ill-health. | |
He said he stood down out of a "sense of duty and honour" because he feared he might be less able to respond to the pressures on him. | |
Sir Paul said nobody he consulted agreed with his decision, adding: "Had I not had the health issue, without wishing to overplay it, I might have come to a different conclusion." | |
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." |
'Better place' | |
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." |
Asked about the police investigation into phone hacking, he said the Met developed a fixed and defensive mindset around hacking in 2009. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | "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 on Monday. |