Met constables REFUSE to back Scotland Yard chief Blair

Leaders of the Metropolitan Police's 24,000 constables decided they could not issue a statement of support after discussing the crisis engulfing his leadership.

Instead, they decided to stay silent until next Thursday when Sir Ian will be the subject of a no-confidence motion at the force's governing body, the Metropolitan Police Authority.

Privately, a number of Police Federation officials believe it is time for Sir Ian to step down after his troubled three-year reign as Met Commissioner.

Their decision to "sit on the fence" is a huge blow to Sir Ian, who vowed last week that he would resign if his officers no longer backed him.

Asked if he would quit, Sir Ian said: "If I have lost the support of my officers then I certainly would, but I don't think I have."

His promise came at a meeting of the London Assembly - where politicians said they had no confidence in him and called on him to quit.

Yesterday around 50 representatives of the Constables Branch of the Metropolitan Police Federation spent hours discussing Sir Ian's leadership.

An official said: "We will not be commenting on Sir Ian one way or the other. It's up to the police authority to decide whether Sir Ian should be forced out."

Another said: "A number of federation members are concerned that we will be catalyst for his departure. By staying silent, that may still be the case."

Earlier this week, Sir Ian faced fresh calls to step down after he was accused of breaking the law in the aftermath of the Stockwell shooting.

The Tories called on Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to sack the Commissioner over his controversial attempt to block an independent inquiry into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes.

Shadow Attorney General Dominic Grieve wrote to Miss Smith saying Sir Ian had put himself "above the law" by trying to exclude investigators from the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Sir Ian has suffered unprecedented criticism after his force was found guilty of breaching health and safety laws over the Stockwell shooting at the Old Bailey earlier this month.

Critics say he should take responsibility for the "corporate failures2 that resulted in the death of Mr de Menezes.

They also argue that following a series of errors of judgment he no longer commands the necessary authority to lead the Met's 30,000 officers.

More pressure was piled on Sir Ian after it emerged at the weekend that his force is trying to track down millions of pounds in "missing" expenses.

Anti-corruption officers launched an urgent review of spending on corporate credit cards after financial controls were branded a complete mess.

Sources indicated at least £2million was still unaccounted for after dozens of officers allegedly clocked up huge bills at expensive hotels and restaurants.

At its meeting next week, the Metropolitan Police Authority will also discuss a report by the Operation Ribble team on its 19-month inquiry into the alleged cash for honours affair.

The report says the most damning evidence uncovered by detectives in the 19-month investigation has not been made public.

The Crown Prosecution Service ruled in July there was insufficient evidence to warrant charges against anyone in the affair.

The secret evidence referred to in the report is understood to concern diary entries by Sir Christopher Evans, the biotech entrepreneur who was arrested but cleared.

The entries relate to conversations he had with Labour party fundraiser Lord Levy. The entries were deemed inadmissible to any court case.

The report by the Operation Ribble team defends the £1.43million probe as "focused and proportionate", while accepting the CPS decision not to bring charges.