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Stephen Lawrence review prompts Met shredding ban | Stephen Lawrence review prompts Met shredding ban |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The head of the Metropolitan Police has "asked that there is no more shredding" of documents while he deals with claims files on corruption were destroyed. | The head of the Metropolitan Police has "asked that there is no more shredding" of documents while he deals with claims files on corruption were destroyed. |
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe appeared before the Home Affairs Committee, which told him it would hold an inquiry into Met "standards, governance and culture". | Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe appeared before the Home Affairs Committee, which told him it would hold an inquiry into Met "standards, governance and culture". |
Destruction of files was raised by the Mark Ellison QC in his review of the Stephen Lawrence murder investigation. | Destruction of files was raised by the Mark Ellison QC in his review of the Stephen Lawrence murder investigation. |
Sir Bernard told MPs the Met was going through that report in detail. | Sir Bernard told MPs the Met was going through that report in detail. |
It found evidence of "mass shredding" of files relating to Operation Othona - a top-secret anti-corruption initiative within the Met. | |
Mr Ellison also reported that an undercover Met officer had spied on the Lawrence family, and did not rule out that corruption may have compromised the investigation. | |
'Chaos not malice' | |
Sir Bernard told MPs he needed to find out whether the shredding was "innocent or malicious", adding: "I just don't know." | Sir Bernard told MPs he needed to find out whether the shredding was "innocent or malicious", adding: "I just don't know." |
He insisted the Met must find out what had happened, saying he needed to know: "What were the documents, what was on them, who asked for them to be shredded and why?" | |
Sir Bernard was not Met Commissioner at the time of the Stephen Lawrence murder or the alleged shredding of internal documents - which could have happened in 2001 or 2003 - and he said he had no knowledge of the shredding. | |
He said there were "very legitimate reasons" why documents were destroyed, but added: "I have asked that there is no more shredding until I get to the bottom of this." | |
He also said he had spoken to Mr Ellison after his review to ask if he felt the Met had been "dishonest, mischievous, malicious" in not providing information - and he said he was told it was "chaos rather than malice". | |
During the meeting, committee chair Keith Vaz told Sir Bernard: "Normally I find you very reassuring to this committee. I am afraid I don't think we are reassured at the moment." | |
Asked if there should be an inquiry into "the Met as a whole", Sir Bernard said: "No. There's no need. It's absolute nonsense. We are doing very well." | |
But Mr Vaz said there would be an inquiry "given all that's happened". | |
Mr Ellison's report, published earlier this month, prompted Home Secretary Theresa May to announce a separate judge-led public inquiry into undercover policing. |
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