Met Chief backs Yates over probe

Assistant Commissioner John Yates said he believes his phone was hacked

Ex-Commissioner Lord Ian Blair said he had no evidence that his voicemail messages were illegally intercepted

Published: 12:32pm, 12th July 2011
Updated: 12:06am, 13th July 2011

The senior Scotland Yard officer who failed to reopen the phone hacking investigation in 2009 has been backed by his boss.

Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson praised his assistant John Yates for his "courage and humility" in facing members of the home affairs select committee.

Mr Yates has Scotland Yard's full support and confidence after admitting his "regrets" over the News of the World scandal, Sir Paul added.

Facing MPs, Mr Yates said he regretted his ruling following allegations that thousands of phones had been hacked by journalists at the Sunday tabloid.

Responding to evidence heard in Westminster, Sir Paul said in a statement: "John has taken on some of the Met's most difficult roles and has an excellent record in some very challenging areas.

"He never shies away from those difficult cases and in this particular matter, we need to give him credit for his courage and humility in acknowledging that if he knew then what he knows now, he would have taken different decisions.

"He currently undertakes one of the most difficult jobs in UK policing, and is doing an outstanding job leading our fight against terrorism. He has my full support and confidence, and that of our partners."

Deputy assistant commissioner Sue Akers and Peter Clarke, the Met's former counter-terrorism chief, were also quizzed by the committee.

Sir Paul added: "Former DAC Peter Clarke put into the public domain his rationale and the reasons that the terms of the original inquiry were drawn relatively tightly. I hope this helps to inform the public debate and the reasons that the original inquiry operated as it did.

"As DAC Sue Akers said we will continue to pursue our investigations against alleged corrupt journalists and corrupt police officers with determination and support the victims in doing so. N- one who saw Sue's evidence today can be any doubt of this."