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Hacking police round on News International Hacking police round on News International
(about 1 hour later)
News International tried to "thwart" the original inquiry into phone hacking at the News of the World, senior Met police officers have told MPs.News International tried to "thwart" the original inquiry into phone hacking at the News of the World, senior Met police officers have told MPs.
Ex-Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said while probing the claims in 2006, he came across "prevarication and what we now know to be lies".Ex-Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said while probing the claims in 2006, he came across "prevarication and what we now know to be lies".
Assistant Commissioner John Yates said the firm "appears to have failed to co-operate" during his review of the case.Assistant Commissioner John Yates said the firm "appears to have failed to co-operate" during his review of the case.
Committee chairman Keith Vaz said Mr Yates's evidence was "unconvincing".Committee chairman Keith Vaz said Mr Yates's evidence was "unconvincing".
A police investigation began in 2005, triggered by stories about Prince William's health in the NoW.A police investigation began in 2005, triggered by stories about Prince William's health in the NoW.
News International closed the paper last week amid outrage over hacking.News International closed the paper last week amid outrage over hacking.
In his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mr Clarke said: "We pursued it as far as we could through the correspondence with the News of the World lawyers."In his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mr Clarke said: "We pursued it as far as we could through the correspondence with the News of the World lawyers."
But he added: "This is a major global organisation with access to the best legal advice, in my view deliberately trying to thwart a police investigation."But he added: "This is a major global organisation with access to the best legal advice, in my view deliberately trying to thwart a police investigation."
In other developments:In other developments:
  • Labour leader Ed Miliband will meet David Cameron and Deputy PM Nick Clegg to discuss the fall-out of the scandal
  • MPs will vote on Wednesday on a Labour motion urging News Corporation boss Rupert Murdoch to withdraw his bid
  • News International's chief executive Rebekah Brooks, chairman James Murdoch and Rupert Murdoch have been asked to appear before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in the Commons next Tuesday. The company says it will co-operate and is awaiting the "formal invitation"
  • Labour leader Ed Miliband has a meeting with the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose phone was allegedly hacked, and tells them his "heart goes out" to them
  • The final edition of the News of the World on Sunday sold 3.8 million copies, 1.1 million more than the previous week
  • The websites TheSunOnSunday.co.uk and SunOnSunday.co.uk are transferred to News International amid speculation a seven-day edition of The Sun is being planned
  • Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers, who is leading a new investigation into hacking, revealed to the committee that only 170 out of more than 4,000 potential victims whose details were stored by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire have been contacted by police
  • Labour leader Ed Miliband is to meet David Cameron and Deputy PM Nick Clegg to discuss the fall-out of the scandal
  • MPs will vote on Wednesday on a href="/news/uk-politics-14127282" title="Ministers back Labour BSkyB call" >Labour motion urging News Corporation boss Rupert Murdoch to withdraw his bid for BSkyB - and the government says it will back the call
    •
  • News International's chief executive Rebekah Brooks, chairman James Murdoch and Rupert Murdoch have been asked to appear before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in the Commons next Tuesday. The company says it will co-operate and is awaiting a "formal invitation"
  • Labour leader Ed Miliband has a meeting with the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose phone was allegedly hacked, and tells them his "heart goes out" to them
  • The final edition of the News of the World on Sunday sold 3.8 million copies, 1.1 million more than the previous week
  • The websites TheSunOnSunday.co.uk and SunOnSunday.co.uk are transferred to News International amid speculation a seven-day edition of The Sun is being planned
  • Former Prime Minister href="/news/uk-politics-14119225" title="Brown attacks 'disgusting' papers" >Gordon Brown has accused News International of using known criminals to find stories
    •
Mr Clarke told MPs his remit during the initial investigation was strictly to look into who had been hacking into the phones of members of the royal household.Mr Clarke told MPs his remit during the initial investigation was strictly to look into who had been hacking into the phones of members of the royal household.
This was three hours of theatre that ranged from drama, when John Yates was asked whether he should resign, to pantomime, as Andy Hayman was offered a piece of paper in order to eat his words.
But the most telling contribution came from Sir Ian, now Lord, Blair, who said the first phone hacking inquiry, under his watch as commissioner, was a "tiny fragmentary event... not seen as particularly significant".
That told you more about why those 11,000 pages of material weren't "exhaustively" examined than any of the other evidence. Tackling phone hacking, intrusion into people's privacy, just wasn't as important to the Met as stopping terrorist attacks.
The scale of the investigation now - almost 4,000 names and 9,000 phone numbers to trawl through - illustrates why detectives feared in 2006 they'd become so bogged down that other duties would be neglected.
Only the "most important" victims of phone hacking had been told about it, he said.Only the "most important" victims of phone hacking had been told about it, he said.
He said he had to weigh up a breach of privacy investigation with counter terrorism investigations, and an exhaustive analysis of the evidence at hand may or may not have made any difference at all.He said he had to weigh up a breach of privacy investigation with counter terrorism investigations, and an exhaustive analysis of the evidence at hand may or may not have made any difference at all.
"If at any time News International had offered some meaningful co-operation instead of prevarication and what we now know to be lies, we would not be here today," he said."If at any time News International had offered some meaningful co-operation instead of prevarication and what we now know to be lies, we would not be here today," he said.
In 2007, a reporter and private investigator working for the paper were jailed for phone hacking. It was reported that the pair were considered to have been acting alone, and the investigation, led by former Met assistant commissioner Andy Hayman, ended.In 2007, a reporter and private investigator working for the paper were jailed for phone hacking. It was reported that the pair were considered to have been acting alone, and the investigation, led by former Met assistant commissioner Andy Hayman, ended.
Mr Hayman told the committee: "At the time everything possible that they were able to do, given the resources and the parameters they set, was done and I stand by that...Mr Hayman told the committee: "At the time everything possible that they were able to do, given the resources and the parameters they set, was done and I stand by that...
"What we look like now, it's very lame. I think what's happened is I think we've had more time to do it, more revelations have come out, the News of the World have given us material that we didn't have at the time.""What we look like now, it's very lame. I think what's happened is I think we've had more time to do it, more revelations have come out, the News of the World have given us material that we didn't have at the time."
Mr Hayman later went on to become a columnist with the News International title The Times but rejected suggestions that he was in the newspaper group's "back pocket".Mr Hayman later went on to become a columnist with the News International title The Times but rejected suggestions that he was in the newspaper group's "back pocket".
He told the committee: "Even if I had that motive or other motives that have been suggested, I had no ability to change the direction of that at all."
Mr Hayman also confirmed he had private dinners with representatives of the News of the World during the phone hacking inquiry, but said they had always been "businesslike" and were in the presence of the Met's head of communications.
In 2009, Assistant Commissioner Yates oversaw a review of the investigation after allegations appeared in the Guardian that NoW reporters had paid private investigators to hack into thousands of phones, many owned by politicians and celebrities.In 2009, Assistant Commissioner Yates oversaw a review of the investigation after allegations appeared in the Guardian that NoW reporters had paid private investigators to hack into thousands of phones, many owned by politicians and celebrities.
At the hearing, he admitted it was a "poor" decision not to reopen the inquiry and he regretted not doing enough to protect victims.At the hearing, he admitted it was a "poor" decision not to reopen the inquiry and he regretted not doing enough to protect victims.
But he said: "It is a matter of great concern that, for whatever reason, the News of the World appears to have failed to co-operate in the way that we now know they should have with relevant police inquiries up until January this year.But he said: "It is a matter of great concern that, for whatever reason, the News of the World appears to have failed to co-operate in the way that we now know they should have with relevant police inquiries up until January this year.
"They have only recently supplied information and evidence that would have had a significant impact on the decisions that I took in 2009 had it been provided to us then.""They have only recently supplied information and evidence that would have had a significant impact on the decisions that I took in 2009 had it been provided to us then."
At the start of his evidence, he read from a statement, saying: "I have never lied, all the information provided to this committee and others have been given in good faith." He said he would not resign over criticisms of his actions, and told MPs he had not been under pressure from the NoW over issues in his private life.
He said he would not resign over the decision, and told MPs he had not been under pressure from the NoW over issues in his private life.
Mr Yates also said he was 99% certain his own mobile was hacked between 2005 and 2006.Mr Yates also said he was 99% certain his own mobile was hacked between 2005 and 2006.
The last senior officer to appear was Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers, who is leading a new investigation called Operation Weeting. Speaking after the hearing, Mr Vaz said of the evidence to the committee: "Had they actually said all along, well the reason why we closed the first inquiry is because News International were not supportive and not cooperative - and had Mr Yates said the same thing - it would have been much easier."
Under her lead, detectives are in the process of contacting nearly 4,000 people whose personal details were stored by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire. But Ms Akers told MPs so far only 170 people had been informed that their personal details were in the documentation. Other MPs not on the committee but who listened to the evidence, were critical of what they had heard.
She confirmed to the committee that the material gathered by police contains 3,870 first and second names. There are 5,000 landline phone numbers and 4,000 mobile phone numbers. Labour MP, Chris Bryant, who suspects that his phone was hacked, said: "Nearly everything that we have heard in the last few weeks was in the papers that the police gathered in 2006 if they had chosen even to read it. All we learned today is, they didn't even bother to read most of it."
And former shadow home secretary David Davies said: "There was incompetence in the handling, there was complacency over the issue."
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Akers confirmed to the committee that the material gathered by police contains 3,870 first and second names. There are 5,000 landline phone numbers and 4,000 mobile phone numbers.
She said senior management at News International were now co-operating with her inquiry.She said senior management at News International were now co-operating with her inquiry.
"I held a meeting at which for the first time two News International executives attended to debate our very different interpretations of the expression full cooperation and subsequent to that meeting I can say that relationships have been much better," she said."I held a meeting at which for the first time two News International executives attended to debate our very different interpretations of the expression full cooperation and subsequent to that meeting I can say that relationships have been much better," she said.
"My team deal certainly weekly if not sometimes daily directly with the executives and we're experiencing an altogether different feel."
The committee hearing opened with questions to former Met Police Commissioner Lord Ian Blair about claims police officers had been paid for information by the News of the World.The committee hearing opened with questions to former Met Police Commissioner Lord Ian Blair about claims police officers had been paid for information by the News of the World.
He said he strongly suspected corruption in the force, but knew of no payments made to police officers.He said he strongly suspected corruption in the force, but knew of no payments made to police officers.
He was also asked about the decision not to reopen an inquiry in 2009. He said: "If material was available at the time that showed 'industrial level hacking' it would have been appropriate to have gone further.He was also asked about the decision not to reopen an inquiry in 2009. He said: "If material was available at the time that showed 'industrial level hacking' it would have been appropriate to have gone further.
"I didn't know and I wouldn't have expected it to have been known further up the organisation.""I didn't know and I wouldn't have expected it to have been known further up the organisation."
'In tears'
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has accused News International, owners of the NoW, the Sun and the Sunday Times, of using known criminals to find stories.
News International said it noted the allegations and would investigate.
In an exclusive BBC interview, Mr Brown said he was "in tears" when he heard the Sun was to run a story in 2006 revealing that his son, Fraser, had cystic fibrosis.
The then chancellor and his wife, Sarah, had believed only medical staff treating their son had access to the records and now fear they may have been accessed illegally.
News International, though, says the story was obtained through a legitimate source.
Mr Brown also said he was "shocked" about allegations that the Sunday Times had used "blagging" to obtain his private financial and property details.
"I just can't understand this. If I, with all the protection and all the defences and all the security that the chancellor of the exchequer or the prime minister has is so vulnerable to unscrupulous tactics... what about the ordinary citizen?"
Responding to his predecessor's interview, Prime Minister David Cameron said his heart went out to Gordon and Sarah Brown.
"To have your child's privacy invaded in that way is completely unacceptable and heartbreaking for the family concerned. I am absolutely determined we will not rest until we get to the bottom of these problems."
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