Sir Paul Stephenson resigns as Metropolitan Police Commissioner over phone hacking scandal

Sir Paul Stephenson last night resigned as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, putting more pressure on David Cameron over his personal links to the phone hacking scandal.

A clearly angry Sir Paul said he was stepping down after criticism over his decision to employ as a personal adviser Neil Wallis, the former deputy editor of the News of the World who was arrested on suspicion of phone hacking.

In an emotional statement yesterday evening he insisted he did not want to "compromise" the Prime Minister but pointedly said Mr Wallis had not been associated with phone hacking at the time Sir Paul employed him in October 2009.

He said that by contrast the full scale of phone hacking at the News of the World had begun to emerge when Andy Coulson, David Cameron's former director of communications, resigned as editor.

Mr Cameron was last night in the awkward position of being out of the country on a trade visit to Africa when the announcement was made.

Sir Paul said: "Let me turn to the reported displeasure of the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary of the relationship with Mr Wallis.

"At the time [I had] no reason for considering the contractual relationship to be a matter of concern.

"Unlike Mr Coulson, Mr Wallis had not resigned from the News of the World or, to the best of my knowledge been in any way associated with the original phone hacking investigation."

Sir Paul said that while he was resigning with his personal integrity intact he was concerned his relationship with Mr Wallis was proving an unwelcome "distraction" to the "enormous challenge" of policing London in the run-up to the Olympics.

He said: "The heroism and bravery of Met officers … is in danger of being eclipsed by the ongoing debate about relationships between senior officers and the media. That can never be right. If I stayed I know the inquiry outcomes would reaffirm my personal integrity. Therefore, although I have received continued personal support from both the Home Secretary and the mayor, I have with great sadness informed both of my intention to resign."

He said that he had no involvement in the original phone hacking investigation in 2006. "I had no reason to believe this was anything other than a successful investigation. I was unaware that there were any other documents in our possession of the nature that have now emerged."

Sir Paul met Mr Wallis later that year and employed him as a PR adviser between October 2009 and September 2010. Sir Paul said he had kept his connection to Mr Wallis secret from Mr Cameron, Theresa May, the Home Secretary, and Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, to avoid exposing them to criticism.

He added that he had been unable to divulge the relationship earlier because it would have affected the integrity of the police's current investigation into phone hacking. Mr Wallis was arrested on Thursday.

Last night Labour attempted to put more pressure on Mr Cameron over the phone hacking scandal.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said: "It is striking that Sir Paul has taken responsibility and answered questions about the appointment of the deputy editor of the News of the World whereas the Prime Minister still refuses to recognise his misjudgment and answer questions on the appointment of the editor of the News of the World at the time of the initial phone hacking investigation. People will wonder at why different rules apply for the Prime Minister and the Met, especially when as Sir Paul said himself, unlike Andy Coulson, Neil Wallis had not been forced to resign from the News of the World."

Sir Paul's decision will put added pressure on John Yates, the Assistant Commissioner, who has been widely criticised for his failure to reopen the phone hacking investigation.

Mr Wallis's connection with Sir Paul first emerged last Thursday.

Yesterday there was further embarrassment when a Sunday newspaper disclosed that Sir Paul had accepted up to £12,000 in luxury hospitality from Champneys, one of country's leading health spas, when he was recovering from an operation.

Sir Paul and his wife had spent 20 nights with full board at the spa. The revelation was embarrassing because the spa's PR representative was Mr Wallis.

In a 15 minute statement, broadcast live from the press room in New Scotland Yard, Sir Paul insisted there was "no impropriety" in relation to his use of the spa.

He said: "I am extremely happy with what I did and the reasons for it — to do everything possible to return to running the Met full time, significantly ahead of medical, family and friends' advice.

"The attempt to represent this in a negative way is both cynical and disappointing."

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, is to make a statement to the Commons later today about the relationship between the Metropolitan Police and Chamy Media, Mr Wallis's PR company.

Boris Johnson paid tribute to Sir Paul. He said: "I have absolutely no reason to doubt the complete integrity of Sir Paul."

(Published by The Telegraph – July 17, 2011)