Police chief issues Tory apology
Police chief issues Tory apology
Bob Quick: In charge of inquiry which has seen Tory Damian Green arrested
The head of Britain's counter-terror squad has issued an "unreserved" apology to the Conservative Party.
Met Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick claimed on Sunday the party had mobilised the press against him.
The party denied the claims and leader David Cameron demanded Mr Quick, who is heading an inquiry into the Home Office leaks to the Tories, apologise.
Mr Quick has now issued a statement in which he apologised "unreservedly for any offence or embarrassment" caused.
He added: "I have now reflected on the comments I made yesterday at a difficult time for me and my family. I wish to make clear that it was not my intention to make any allegations and retract my comments."
The Conservatives said they accepted Mr Quick's apology, saying: "This draws a line under the matter."
Mr Quick, who is heading the leaks investigation which saw senior Tory MP Damian Green arrested last month, said on Sunday he had been forced to move his family after a published newspaper article put them at risk.
'Completely baseless'
"The Tory machinery and their press friends are mobilised against this investigation," the Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner told reporters on Sunday.
"I think it is a very spiteful act, possibly to intimidate me away from investigating Mr Green, and I feel it has put my family at risk."
He later withdrew claims that the Conservatives had acted in a "corrupt" way, but Mr Cameron and other senior Conservatives had demanded a full apology.
Mr Cameron told London's LBC radio on Monday morning, ahead of the apology being issued, that Mr Quick had "to withdraw what is a completely baseless allegation".
The Conservative Party leader added: "I am sure he will want to do that because in life, if you make a mistake, the best thing to do is correct it as quickly as you can."
He added that he was "perfectly happy" to work with Mr Quick on a professional basis, but added that he thought the investigation into Mr Green was "misconceived and the sooner it comes to an end the better, and I suspect it will fairly shortly".
The arrest of Mr Green and the search of his home and offices prompted a political row. There was an outcry among MPs from all parties that the police action represented a fundamental breach of their right to hold the government to account. Police had been asked by the Cabinet Office to investigate alleged leaks from the Home Office.
Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7795334.stm
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