Met promises ‘fresh approach’ to phone hacking
By Ian Dunt
The Metropolitan Police will take a “fresh approach” to informing potential victims of phone hacking about the evidence, it has announced.
The comments come amid widespread criticism of Scotland Yard for the way it has conducted previous investigations, with several high profile figures complaining that the police did not inform them of alleged attempts to hack their phones.
“We will build on the previous commitment to all those victims whose phones we already have reasonable evidence to believe may have been hacked by establishing or renewing contact with them,” deputy assistant commissioner Sue Akers said.
“With this new investigation we will be as open as we can be and will show them all the information we hold about them, while giving them the opportunity to tell us anything that may be of concern to them.
“In time, we will go beyond this group of individuals and make contact with everyone who had some of their personal contact details found in the documents seized in 2005,” she continued.
“This will ensure all of those who have been affected in some way are made aware of the information we have found relating to them.”
The new Met investigation seems intent on undoing the damage caused by its apparent reluctance to conduct thorough inquiries at an earlier stage.
Today’s statement insisted that all actions and decisions taken by the previous investigation are being reviewed and all the evidence gathered to date is being checked to ensure it is catalogued correctly and accurately.
Alongside the Met investigation, there is also an internal News of the World investigation and a Crown Prosecution Service assessment taking place.
