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Senior Met Police staff 'leaked stories' Leveson Inquiry: Ex-Met chief defends health spa break
(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. 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.
He said these leaks were "deeply unhelpful", "hugely distracting" and caused disharmony among senior staff. Sir Paul Stephenson resigned last July after being criticised for accepting a free stay at the Champneys luxury spa.
Sir Paul, who resigned from the job last year, was giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into press standards. 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."
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.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. Roger Baker from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary - responsible for the inspection of police forces - will also give evidence on Monday.