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Hacking exclusive: Queen's police sold her details to News of the World
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor11 Jul 2011
Personal details about the Queen and her closest aides were sold to the News of the World by corrupt royal protection officers, the Standard reveals today.
The information included phone numbers and tips about the movements and activities of the Queen, Prince Philip and staff in a serious breach of national security. The payments, and involvement of the royal and diplomatic protection squad, were uncovered by News International in 2007.
But despite the potential risk to security they were not passed on to the Met until last month. Scotland Yard was only informed after other News International bosses discovered the existence of the emails during a separate internal probe set up to uncover evidence of phone hacking. There are hundreds of royal protection officers.
The disclosure that News International failed to pass on information revealing criminal activity by royal protection officers will raise serious new questions about the company's conduct and heap further pressure on Rupert Murdoch after his arrival in London to tackle the crisis.
It came as other developments in the phone hacking and bribery scandal included: Nick Clegg called on Mr Murdoch to pull the plug on his BSkyB takeover deal as shares went into freefall and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt asked for new advice on the bid.
Met Assistant Commissioner John Yates issued an apology over his failure to investigate hacking more thoroughly and expressed "great regret" to Milly Dowler's family.
The murdered teenager's family said News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks should resign.
But the most dramatic development came as sources revealed the extent of payments to corrupt royal protection officers. It follows the arrest last week of former News of the World editor Andy Coulson and the paper's former royal editor Clive Goodman on suspicion of bribing police.
Sources say that bosses at News Corporation, News International's parent company, were shocked when they were told about the emails last month. They said there is deep anger within the company about the actions of some of its staff.
"It is incomprehensible that this wasn't disclosed in 2007," said one source. "This goes right to the head of state and there is a clear danger to national security.
"If police guarding the Queen were prepared to sell the sort of information that they were doing, who knows what they might have been capable of? These emails should have been handed over to Scotland Yard immediately."
The discovery of the emails in 2007 followed a request to News International by a Commons select committee after Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were convicted on phone hacking charges.
Around half a dozen emails indicating payments totalling more than £100,000 by News of the World journalists to corrupt Met officers were found. Others indicating that other staff had been involved in hacking was also reportedly discovered.
One of News International's most senior executives, Will Lewis, asked Lord Macdonald, the former director of public prosecutions, to advise on whether the emails should be handed to police.
Insiders say that Lord Macdonald, who is advising solely on the disclosure of evidence of corruption and not on phone hacking, said that the national security implications meant that they should be given to Scotland Yard immediately.
As well as Mr Coulson and Goodman, who were arrested by police on Friday, a third unnamed man, aged 63, has been arrested by police from the Met's Operation Elveden team.
It is investigating the bribery allegations and possible offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the crime of procuring or counselling misconduct in public office.
Several police officers and a number of other current or former News of the World staff are expected to be arrested over the coming weeks over the bribery scandal. Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has expressed his severe concern at the allegations.
