Dirty tricks row over terror chief forced to resign

Insiders said the decision by Andy Hayman to quit yesterday was a further sign of a Yard leadership vacuum.

The Assistant Commissioner, who was already facing an inquiry into his expenses, quit after he faced claims about "inappropriate contact" with a woman official at the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Mr Hayman, 48, is said to have exchanged more than 400 phone calls and texts with the employee while the IPCC was writing a report into the Met's handling of the Jean Charles de Menezes shooting in 2005.

The anti-terror chief, who was in overall charge of London's security at the time, was later criticised in reports on the Stockwell incident.

The latest accusations in a Channel 4 News bulletin follow an earlier revelation that auditors were investigating his expense claims and questions over trips abroad with one of his officers, Inspector Heidi Tubby.

Mr Hayman announced his early retirement and hit out at "unfounded accusations" against him after a breakfast meeting yesterday with Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, Len Duvall.

The decision leaves the Home Office desperately seeking a new police chief to take over the fight against al Qaeda.

Channel 4 said the latest claims called into question the integrity and independence of the IPCC's report into Stockwell. However, the IPCC announced that the official had no inside knowledge of the de Menezes report. In a statement, the IPCC said the woman was not an investigator and had no involvement or contact with the IPCC's two Stockwell inquiries.

It said: "We have satisfied ourselves that there was no improper sharing of information. It appears that the calls were not work-related."

Mr Hayman's resignation provoked disbelief and fury at Scotland Yard. Sir Ian is facing continuing pressure over his leadership with calls from Tory and Liberal Democrat politicians to resign over the de Menezes shooting.

One of Mr Hayman's colleagues claimed he had been the victim of a "dirty tricks campaign" and there were claims he was being used as a "scape-goat" to divert attention away from the Commissioner.

He said Mr Hayman had always kept in touch with the friend at the IPCC and the fact that she worked at the police watchdog at the time of the Stockwell report was coincidental.

He said: "You have to remember that Andy has driven through a lot of change and shaken up a lot of cozy gentlemen's clubs within Special Branch. He has annoyed a lot of people and that is what this is all about; it is people trying to get back at him.

"Andy has answers to all these accusations but the trouble is there is only so much you can take. He ended up with an ultimatum from home that he had to make a choice. He has chosen his family."

Another source close to the Met said: "Ian Blair is in a position where his senior management team is unravelling around him. Two out of five of his assistant commissioners have now gone in recent months and another is nearing retirement. This does not reflect very well on his leadership abilities."

Another insider with knowledge of the claims against Mr Hayman said: "Nothing so far would seem on its own to merit disciplinary action, but this does raise issues of judgement."

Mr Hayman, a former Chief Constable of Norfolk, was brought into the Met by Sir Ian Blair. In his statement Mr Hayman said: "This role requires total commitment in both time and effort and has a considerable impact on your personal life, your family and friends.

"It also puts you in the spotlight, often in ways that are very hurtful. Recent weeks have seen a series of leaks and unfounded accusations about me, which I have and will continue to refute strongly.

"However, these events take their toll on you personally and I feel now is the right time for me to step aside and for a new person to take over."