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Attorney General bans book by former Yard anti-terror chief
Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent02.07.09
The publication of a book by a former top Scotland Yard counter-terrorism officer has been blocked by the Attorney General.
Baroness Scotland stepped in at the last minute to obtain an injunction preventing The Terrorist Hunters from hitting the shelves today. The book, by retired Scotland Yard assistant commissioner Andy Hayman, focuses on the struggle against Islamic terrorism in the aftermath of the 7 July attacks.
It also looked at the murder of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko and gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse of top-level political and intelligence work.
An advisory notice highlighting the injunction, granted by an unnamed High Court judge, was circulated to news-paper editors at 11.45 last night.
Further details of the reasons behind the injunction cannot be published for legal reasons linked to continuing criminal proceedings.
Thousands of copies of the 372-page book were delivered to bookshops nationwide ahead of its publication today. Large sections of the book, co-written by former BBC home affairs correspondent Margaret Gilmore, were also serialised in The Times.
Sources close to the publication said it was vetted by officials at the Cabinet Office, MI5 and MI6 but no copy was passed to Scotland Yard.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has complained that he was not given a preview of its contents. He told a meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority last week that he was reluctant to give the book more publicity.
But Sir Paul said members of the force's watchdog might like to consider whether senior officers should be allowed to publish such books.
He said: “I find it surprising as commissioner that I have no right on this occasion to have access to the book before it is published. It is troublesome and it does not help good conduct.”
One senior police insider said: “There is quite a lot of anger in the Met about the book's contents. No one else's memories of some of the events he describes are the same.”
Reader views (4)
Will be on sale in other countries probably
- Ereed, Bournemouth,UK
I really don't know why 'they' have banned this book. It is hardly going to contain any state secrets, I mean look who 'wrote' it? Andy Hayman. Exactly, who? On the other hand it is always distressing for me to see such people make money out of their dreary professional lives, theya re almost always moaning about a perceived lost opportunity that wasn't their fault. Shame they didn't ban such things before Ali Dizaei was allowed to publish his boring book AND it was Radio 4's Book of The Week last year.
- Ranter, Maidstone, UK
I saw hayman plugging his book on the TV recently. justifying his colleagues who murdered De Menezes, plus the other anti-liberal measures his ex-thugs, er sorry mates employ.
This book should be read in the toilet, "I have your book in front of me, soon it will be behind me"
- Kerry, purley
If this book was circulated to selected individuals, but not necessarily all the individuals who had the right to read it, how come the late night dash to the courts for an injunction the day before release? Could it be that they haven't actually read it yet and just want to buy some time or prevent us knowing what an inefficient load of wallies they are. No doubt personal exposure is more important to the egos on the job than national security.
- Jilly, London
