Top British police chief resigns over phone hacking

Britain's senior police chief Paul Stephenson, London's police commissioner, resigned on Sunday (July 17) over allegations about the police's handling of phone hacking investigations.Stephenson quit in the face of allegations that police officers had accepted money from Rupert Murdoch's News of the World paper and not done enough to investigate phone-hacking charges.

In a statement he read to TV news channels, Stephenson said he had no knowledge of the extent of phone hacking allegations at the now defunct News of the World newspaper, owned by News International, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp media empire.

"I had no knowledge of, or involvement in, the original investigation into phone hacking in 2006 that successfully led to the conviction and imprisonment of two men. I had no reason to believe this was anything other than a successful investigation. I was unaware that there were any other documents in our possession of the nature that have now emerged," Stephenson said.

"I had no knowledge of the extent of this disgraceful practice (of phone-hacking) and the repugnant nature of the selection of victims that is now emerging."

Britain's police have been criticised over allegations of accepting money from News of the World and other newspapers and of not doing enough to investigate phone hacking allegations.

Stephenson said he did not want criticism of his conduct to detract from ensuring security at the Olympic Games, which are due to be held in London next year.

His resignation and the arrest of Rebekah Brooks, one of Murdoch's top lieutenants, were the latest twists in a scandal that has tainted police and politicians and shaken the tycoon's global media empire.

The scandal has shocked the British public and raised concerns not only about unethical media practices but about the influence Murdoch has wielded over British leaders and allegations of cosy relationships between some of his journalists and police.