Leaks inquiry contributed to resignation of Bob Quick
Former Chief Constable Bob Quick may not have resigned if not for the leaks inquiry, he has told the BBC.
Former Chief Constable Bob Quick may not have resigned if not for the leaks inquiry, he has told the BBC.
In an interview Mr Quick, who was involved in the arrest of Conservative MP Damian Green, defended his actions, saying documents were stolen from the home secretary`s safe.
In an interview with the BBC, Mr Quick spoke of how the investigation followed leaks from the then-Home Secretary Jacqui Smiths office, amid fear of a national security breach.
His team later arrested civil servant Christopher Galley, who admitted passing documents to the Conservative`s immigration spokesman Damian Green.
The event, which was embroiled in controversy and received much media attention, resulted in no charges being brought. Mr Quicks decision to leave his post followed him inadvertently revealing secret documents to photographers as he stepped out of a taxi.
In the interview, Mr Quick said he had a duty to investigate the leaks because of the potential seriousness of the security breach within the Home Office.
“What we didn`t know is whether more serious offences had been committed,” he said.
“All we really knew was that someone or maybe more than one person was prepared to steal documents from the home secretary`s private office safe and intercept her letters to the prime minister.
“Documents were stolen from a safe in the home secretary`s office where sensitive material was kept, so for these reasons we saw it as pretty serious.
“I think this point got lost in the furore about violating the sanctity of Parliament. In that noise it was very difficult to convey the facts.
“The difficulty really was that if you have someone that you can clearly demonstrate was prepared to steal documents from a safe that we know holds very sensitive material, then you`re under a duty to find out exactly what has been leaked and to whom.”
The leaks inquiry was subject to heavy criticism, with Her Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) calling the police use of resources debatable and an internal review deeming Damian Greens arrease not proportionate.
You can watch the video of the interview here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8647876.stm