Call to probe terror 'leaks' claims

The separate demands from opposition parties came after Britain's most senior counter-terror police chief revealed concerns about a series of leaks, and said they could have placed lives at risk.

Shadow home secretary David Davis asked Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell to launch a formal inquiry into news stories which emerged concerning a counter-terrorism operation in Birmingham on January 31. And the Liberal Democrats wrote to West Midlands Chief Constable Paul Scott-Lee asking him to confirm his force would launch a probe.

In a letter to the top civil servant, Mr Davis said: "In light of the acute concern expressed by the Met's head of counter-terrorism on a matter of national security, I trust that you will accept the clear public interest in proceeding with an inquiry on this occasion."

Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg wrote to Mr Scott-Lee: "Given the terms of the Official Secrets Act, which prohibits the release of information that 'impedes the prevention or detection of offences or the apprehension or prosecution of suspected offenders' by a crown servant, it is possible that the circumstances of these leaks have entailed a breach of the Act.

"I would be grateful if you would confirm that West Midlands Police will investigate these leaks to establish whether any criminal offences have occurred."

Commentators interpreted the original remarks by Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke as an attack on the Government's army of special advisers, or "spin doctors". In a speech on Tuesday night, the policeman suggested culprits were trying to "squeeze out some short-term presentational advantage" by secretly briefing on anti-terror operations.

Demands for a full Whitehall inquiry came from across the political spectrum. During Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, Tory leader David Cameron asked Mr Blair to guarantee that the leaks had not come from either ministers or special advisers. The Prime Minister said they had not come from those sources "as far as I am aware". Mr Cameron asked: "If you don't have a leak inquiry, how on earth can you know?"

Mr Blair insisted he would "completely condemn" any such leaks and would hold a full investigation if there was any evidence. Tory former home secretary and ex-party leader Michael Howard said the allegations made by Mr Clarke were "completely unprecedented".

The Lib Dems published a dossier of dozens of off-the-record briefings on terrorism issues referred to by newspapers over the last five years. It included a list of comments by "Whitehall sources" - the phrase used by journalists when an official in the security services, Government, police or another official capacity does not wish to be named.