Evidence that Coulson 'condoned' police payments 'given to Met in January'

Emails reportedly containing evidence that former News of the World editor Andy Coulson sanctioned payments to the police during his time at the tabloid were handed over to the Scotland Yard in January, the Met police commissioner confirmed today.

In a statement, Sir Paul Stephenson said that the Met was passed emails by News International that "include information relating to alleged inappropriate payments to a small number of MPS officers".

Stephenson said that no senior officers were implicated, and added that "anyone identified of wrongdoing can expect the full weight of disciplinary measures and appropriate action through the criminal courts".

Vanity Fair reported last night that Coulson had "condoned" his staff paying police officers for information during his editorship of the tabloid from 2003 to 2007.

News International spokesperson Simon Greenberg also confirmed that "the emails in question were passed over to police some time ago".

Coulson resigned from his position as David Cameron's director of communications in January, citing the increasing pressure over the phone hacking scandal at the News of the World, where he was editor until 2007.

Although Coulson also resigned from the tabloid after taking responsibility for the practice, he has consistently denied having any knowledge of it taking place.

Coulson's predecessor at the News of the World Rebekah Brooks, who is currently chief executive of parent company News International, told a parliamentary committee in April that she had "no specific knowledge" of payments to the police.

But Brooks had previously seemed to admit before the committee in 2003 that she was aware of the practice taking place at News International titles.

She told MPs at the time: "We have paid the police for information in the past." When asked if the news organisation would do it again in future, she said: "it depends".

At this point Coulson interrupted and said: "We operate within the code and within the law and if there is a clear public interest then we will. The same holds for private detectives, subterfuge, a video bag - whatever you want to talk about."

Coulson was reminded by Labour MP Chris Bryant that it is illegal for police officers to receive payments, to which Coulson responded: "No. I just said, within the law."

When questioned by MP Keith Vaz about the apparent admission in April, Brooks said that she had been responding "to a specific line of questioning on how newspapers get information".

"My intention was simply to comment generally on the widely held belief that payments had been made in the past to police officers.

"If, in doing so, I gave the impression that I had knowledge of any specific cases, I can assure you that this was not my intention."

Labour MP Tom Watson, who successfully lobbied the House of Commons speaker for an emergency debate in the chamber today, told BBC News this morning that the Coulson story was an attempt to divert attention away from News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, who has come under pressure to resign over recent developments in the phone hacking scandal.

"This is desperation from News International," Watson said. "They are trying to protect Rebekah Brooks, who rightly faces the ire of the nation today."

News International has issued a statement in response to the allegations, saying: "As a result of enquiries it is correct to state that new information has recently been provided to the police.

"As News International and News Group Newspapers have reiterated many times, full and continuing co-operation has been provided to the police since the current investigation started in January 2011.

"Well understood arrangements are in place to ensure that any material of importance to which they are entitled is provided to them. We cannot comment any further due to the ongoing investigations."

Speaking on BBC Radio 4 this morning, journalist Max Hastings called phone hacking an "appallingly dirty business" and said: "Some of us had serious doubts about whether the police were investigating as efficiently as possible."

Image: Lewis Whyld/PA

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