Episode 14 The Phone Hacking Inquiry

Time for the round up of the Leveson Inquiry. These witnesses

included several Met Police. They gossiped about stories within

the Met. The relationship with the media is dominating my life.

It can be tough at the top of the Met Police. 0 their 50,000 staff

protecting over 7 million citizens and always knowing if things go

wrong, it can end like this. I have informed the palace and a secretary

and the mayor for my intention to resign. Four former commissioners

told the inquiry had debt -- how they dealt was deep scrutiny of the

press, just waiting for them to slip up. Neil Wallace was arrested

and bailed over phone hacking last year. Previously he was hired by

the next to advise them on public relations. -- Met Police. The

former policeman arrived in suit and tie to tell the inquiry how

people in his top team did damage by talking to the papers. I am

talking about a very small number on the management board. On

occasion at a cost it all lit stories from within the Met Police.

It was deeply unhelpful and added to a continuing dialogue of

disharmony and does functionality within the senior levels.

inquiry heard how the most senior officer in the Met Police develops

a professional acquaintance with Neil Wallace over drinks and

dinners. This access was not unique. Other editors have relationships

with him as well. I find it difficult how the commissioner

could do his job properly without engaging heavily with the media at

the right level. If the reports continued to be unbalanced, which

it often is, I have the duty to try and continue to affect that balance

to be more fair and accurate. Recovering after hospital treatment,

he received a free stay at. Later he learnt that that Neil Wallis did

PR work for this company as well. was on significant medication and

was still in a room chair. It represented my best chance at

getting back to work as early as possible. That was the reason I did

it. Looking back at how they dealt with phone hacking, it is suggested

that the attitude and his actions which were to account for its Beria

in rethinking its conclusion of the original phone hacking inquiry.

did not challenge the reasons for those decisions in 2007. I think he

acted in good faith. I am convinced about that. When he challenged the

reasons, we did not know it was limited. It felt like a success for

investigation. The leader of that original investigation did not

delegate it properly. The fact that they did not feel like a priority

was a relevant factor. We got ourselves almost thought on in

expensive strategy. In the wake of the trauma that followed that

defensive strategy, they commissioned a report on their

relations with the press. There were doubts even in the police

service about the perks available to those at the top. Many of the

police offices I interviewed were highly shop by the amount of

hospitality that the senior people appeared to be receiving. Many of

the lower ranks people felt people were filling their boots. That was

a general feeling. She even heard allegations that the reputations of

some of those senior offices were being protected in return to

favours for reporters. I was taught a variety of different occasions in

which information about senior officers private lives were kept

out of the media and by the person in the media who had that

information in exchange for getting an exclusive story. Sometimes she

heard the trade was even more straight forward. Some of it was

about people allegedly ringing up in excitement to the newspapers to

say a certain celebrity has come into my police station. And when

that poor celebrity gone outside, there were many cameras. The media

had delivered the cameras. People also said they thought in some

instances, people were paid for information about celebrities.

former Chief Constable and author of A report admitted a much harsher

view. You said you do not accept hospitality from the media.

makes me sound extremely dull. That was my case in my time. There was

never an occasion to do more than that. There was never a bottle of

fine champagne. That was about as much the Leveson Inquiry allowed

today. There has been a communications revolution around

the media and the public. The police had been struggling to keep

in front of that or in pace with it. Can you give us an example? People

were taking photographs of themselves miners appropriate

clothing. And it appeared on Facebook. A commissioner who spent

seven years on the job found the papers were vital. I was on duty in

every waking minute. That relationship with the media would

be the single thing that is dominating my life. I had done

during my time. There would be demand to be saying things, to be

reassuring to the public. preferred to brief the press on

police premises. Most of the time anyway. An editor from the

Telegraph always moaned about be quality of food at Scotland Yard. I

weakened a couple of times. I had one lunch at one of his clubs.

fell short of criticising his excesses. -- successes. In a

statement you say is: Hospitality can be the start of something that

could lead to inappropriate and an ethical behaviour. Cannae tell us

how he came to that conclusion? -- can you tell us. That is that the

benefit of hindsight. It is just common sense in any walk of life.

Hospitality can be appropriate, can be sensible, can be necessary, can

be ethical. But the other side, it can lead to in appropriate

Christmas and in some cases can lead to criminal behaviour. He said

they were in severe crisis. No-one wanted to join the police because

they did not believe it was an organisation where joining. Dealing

with the media was part of his strategy. That is the nature of it.

It is not the matter of bearing bad news but the matter of admitting to

mistakes. At the same time they must allow the offices on the

streets to tell their stories in a more positive way. It was what they

-- the Met Police did or did not do about the Guardian's phone hacking

investigation. The issues with the Guardian could have been picked up

if I was Commissioner. I would have been quite ruthless about it.

also wrote columns for the News of the World almost �7,000 a time. His

pieces were edited by Neil Wallace. He then abandon his lucrative

contract. I did not complete the contract because of the conviction

that took place. I told them I did not want to continue. I never gave

the Pacific reasons but I never saw them again. -- specific reasons.S

years later Neil Wallis was hired. People are terrified about picking

up the phone or speaking with the press. That is not healthy. That

relationship is pretty strange. The Attorney General was looking into

evidence of the oversight in charge of those investigations may

prejudice any trial that followed. She alleged that there was a

culture at the Sun which they On day 47 the man who was the Met

Commissioner went hacking was first investigated. His relationship with

News International came under scrutiny after a conversation

revealed that his son did work experience at one of the newspapers.

His son had done work experience at the summit. That is the kind of

thing that would excite most 15- year-old, that would be a good idea.

It was Rebekah Brooks who got to borrow a retired police force.

would say that he was telephoned by Rebekah Brooks asking about this

arrangement, that she had heard this arrangement existed, and that

then he arranged for her to go down and see the inspector in charge of

forces, and then have a discussion about it. This seems to have

happened on the day that I had lunch with her. I understand that

he will say that this was discussed at the lunch. I have absolutely no

recollection of that. The horse incident was not a big deal, he

said. The decision not to widen the phone hacking inquiry certainly was.

The Inquiry heard Lord Blair his own telephone numbers appear in the

notes of the convicted private detective. Did you ask the question,

hang on,'s? I did not do it. consider that question of, who

Wells, he spent six hours on that a job. -- who else? I don't and has

then why John took that decision at the speed he did. Could you comment

on one furthered decision that puzzles me. Having made the

decision and given the press conference, the following days were

then spent gathering documents which some may say could only have

been required to justify the decision has been made because it

was an open review, then why on earth make the announcement? Do I

believe that John Yates took that decision in order to placate News

International? No. I don't believe that. It is difficulty -- his

difficulty. Bob quicks time it ended when he accidentally revealed

to us photographers confidential notes about a police operation.

That brought an end to a long career, one that saw him examining

suspicions that journalists were corrupting police officers 12 years

ago. We believe the journalists that were paying the bribes were

not paying them from their own funds. The intelligence and

evidence reveals payments of between �502,000. -- �500 and

�2,000. We believe they were claiming that money from their

employers. Quick wrote the report asking for action but no more was

done. Police did investigate when money was lent it to the Labour

Party. The Prime Minister was interviewed. There were no charges

following a 16th month in which it -- investigation. The men charge of

the investigation, John Yates, was suspected of leaking, something he

has denied. Quick found no evidence there were leaks. But after the

Cabinet Secretary complain, this happened. You ask to John Yates for

his consent to allow that his private and work telephone records

be examined. You thought he might welcome this. He indicated his

refusal. When you press team he made the comment that he was too

well connected. He said, no, I am very well connected. What

inferences if any did you draw from that. I didn't place huge

significance to it at the time. I thought it was a bit of theatre. He

was clearly sensitive, as I think I would be, too intrusive process

like that. That was not the last time quicks inquiries run into

resistance. This Conservative MP was arrested and his office was

surged in an investigation of run by a quick. The allegations were

quickly established. It revealed that someone working close to the

high and secretary in her private office seemed to be accessing

letters to the Prime Minister as well as removing documents from a

safe. -- the Home Secretary. That is essentially the CPSU had been

consulted, advised that these are likely to be criminal matters.

civil servant was accused of taking the material and of leaking it.

Then the opposition's spokesman. Galli then detailed two meetings

with Mr Green where he handed over Leeds material including material

stolen from the Home Secretary's private office South -- say. One

meeting was in a wine bar. The quotation there, that was in an e-

mail. That was in an e-mail from Mr Green to Galli, arranging a meeting

anywhere we will not see any of your colleagues. But arresting an

MP and raiding his Westminster office raised constitutional issues

and attracted the critical attention of among others London's

men Boris Johnson. I had concerns that some early reports just before

the weekend where the mayor expressed concerns about the arrest

of Mr Green. I detected that had any impact. I detected a change in

attitude towards the operation with one or two colleagues. There was

anxiety and fear about what was going on around them. That

concerned me. Review of the case decided the arrests of Damian Green

was disproportionate. Low charges were ever brought. It was clear

politicians' concerns put the police on edge. With Stephenson

looked anxious and he had written out his resignation. He said he had

done nothing wrong. Indeed. I was surprised and shocked at that

remark. I could not see what the police were doing anything other

than their duties to investigate what were very serious allegations

from the government department. That was later disputed by the

Met's lawyers. Quick got a bad press and did not feel he got the

support he was due from his colleagues. Some senior officers

were working on their own media relations. Do you recall that on at

least a two ad agency were invited to a wine bar. New socks Deven some

candidates socialising you need to be journalists. -- you saw

Stephenson and E Yates. This was early with the Metropolitan Police.

I sensed some unease about this only because it crossed my mind

that these journalists have homes to go to their families. I found it

surprising there was this level of social engagement in a local wine

bars or pubs. There is now no shortage of detail about the

relationships between those who were at the top of the Metropolitan

Police and those who were at the top of News International. None of