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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Police chief issues Tory apology | Police chief issues Tory apology |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The head of Britain's counter-terror squad has issued an "unreserved" apology to the Conservative Party. | The head of Britain's counter-terror squad has issued an "unreserved" apology to the Conservative Party. |
| Met Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick claimed on Sunday the party had mobilised the press against him. | |
| The party denied the claims and leader David Cameron demanded Mr Quick, who is heading an inquiry into the Home Office leaks to the Tories, apologise. | |
| Mr Quick has now issued a statement in which he apologised "unreservedly for any offence or embarrassment" caused. | |
| He added: "I have now reflected on the comments I made yesterday at a difficult time for me and my family. I wish to make clear that it was not my intention to make any allegations and retract my comments." | He added: "I have now reflected on the comments I made yesterday at a difficult time for me and my family. I wish to make clear that it was not my intention to make any allegations and retract my comments." |
| Mr Quick, who is heading the leaks investigation which saw senior Tory MP Damian Green arrested last month, said on Sunday he had been forced to move his family after a published newspaper article put them at risk. | |
| 'Completely baseless' | |
| "The Tory machinery and their press friends are mobilised against this investigation," the Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner told reporters on Sunday. | |
| "I think it is a very spiteful act, possibly to intimidate me away from investigating Mr Green, and I feel it has put my family at risk." | |
| He later withdrew claims that the Conservatives had acted in a "corrupt" way, but Mr Cameron and other senior Conservatives had demanded a full apology. | |
| Mr Cameron told London's LBC radio on Monday morning, ahead of the apology being issued, that Mr Quick had "to withdraw what is a completely baseless allegation". | |
| The Conservative Party leader added: "I am sure he will want to do that because in life, if you make a mistake, the best thing to do is correct it as quickly as you can." | |
| He added that he was "perfectly happy" to work with Mr Quick on a professional basis, but added that he thought the investigation into Mr Green was "misconceived and the sooner it comes to an end the better, and I suspect it will fairly shortly". | |
| The arrest of Mr Green and the search of his home and offices prompted a political row. | |
| There was an outcry among MPs from all parties that the police action represented a fundamental breach of their right to hold the government to account. | |
| Police had been asked by the Cabinet Office to investigate alleged leaks from the Home Office. |