Top Met officers cleared over phone-hacking misconduct

Allegations about Sir Paul Stephenson’s links to News International forced him to resign as commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in July.

Despite his dramatic exit, in a statementSir Paul said the IPCC’s decision to drop a misconduct investigation against him is “as I would have expected it to be”. The police watchdog has also thrown out claims against Andy Hayman, Peter Clarke and John Yates.

However Yates, former assistant comissioner, will face an independent investigation into allegations that he helped secure a Scotland Yard job for the daughter of hacking suspect Neil Wallis.

‘Bad omen for top police’

Chris Herbert, editor of Jane’s Police Review, thinks the police have already been punished more than the government or the media following the phone-hack “frenzy”.

He told Channel 4 News the fact that Sir Paul felt obliged to resign is a “bad omen”.

“The most unfortunate thing was that Sir Paul didn’t leave because of any failings of his, more the perception that something – and no one at the height of the frenzy was quite sure what was wrong – had failed,” Mr Herbert said.

The contrast between how Mr Cameron and Sir Paul have acted could not be more striking. Chris Herbert

“It’s up to him whether he wanted to leave his job or not but it’s a bad omen the UK’s top policeman could be hounded out of his job by a combination of media pressure and political machinations.

“We haven’t seen any politicians resign over their role in the phone hacking scandal and links with the Murdochs or News International.

“In fact, David Cameron has made a virtue out of not resigning – or even apologising – over his employment of Andy Coulson. The contrast between how Mr Cameron and Sir Paul have acted could not be more striking.”

Hospitality question

Sir Paul Stephenson stepped down when it was revealed he accepted free accommodation, worth thousands of pounds, at a luxury health spa as he recovered from an operation. It then emerged that former News of the World (NoW) deputy editor Neil Wallis was working for the company at the time as a consultant. In mid July Mr Wallis was questioned and bailed in connection with the hacking inquiry.

After stating that Sir Paul could not be held responsible for “poor investigation” into allegations of phone hacking by other officers, IPCC Deputy Chair Deborah Glass issued a veiled warning on the issue of hospitality.

More from Channel 4 News: Arrested NoW man worked for Met and dined with top police

She said: “The public will make its own judgements about whether any senior public official should accept hospitality to this extent from anyone – or indeed about a policy which regards hospitality as acceptable merely because it is disclosed.”

Sir Paul responded: The IPCC’s comments about my acceptance of assistance from a friend through my family, unconnected to my professional life, of services from Champneys’ Medical Services, which they chose to examine under their powers without any external referral, does in my view fall a little short of full and proper context.

“However, this is a matter for their judgement.”

(Above: Sir Paul Stephenson announces his resignation in July)

Yates claims job role was ‘peripheral’

The IPCC said that former assistant commissioner John Yates, who also quit at the height of the hacking crisis, had already given his version of events extensively regarding his failure to reopen the NoW investigation in 2009.

“We would agree that he made a poor decision in 2009. He himself has acknowledged that, given what is now known, he made a poor decision for which he has now taken responsibility,” the statement explained.

But Mr Yates has hit back at the IPCC’s decision to continue its inquiry into claims he helped the daughter of Neil Wallis get a job at Scotland Yard.

He said: “I am disappointed with the IPCC’s decision to investigate my peripheral involvement in recruitment process of Neil Wallis’s daughter.

“I strongly deny any wrongdoing and I am completely confident that I will be exonerated.

“I have been entirely open about this matter and I will cooperate fully with the investigation which I hope will be conducted swiftly.”

Cameron drops Coulson hint

David Cameron has said he would have “taken different decisions” over the appointment of former News of the World editor Andy Coulson as his director of communications if he had “known then all the things I know now”.

Speaking during a visit to Cheshire to promote new enterprise zones, the PM was asked whether the appointment of Mr Coulson had raised questions over his judgment.

He said: “Clearly, if I had known then all the things I know now, then obviously I would have taken different decisions.”