Britain's police watchdog on Wednesday cleared the country's former top officer of misconduct over an investigation by his force into phone hacking at the News of the World tabloid. Paul Stephenson quit as head of London's Metropolitan Police last month amid evidence of the force's links to Rupert Murdoch's media empire, which owned the now-defunct News of the World (NotW).
The force had long faced criticism for its initial 2006 investigation into phone hacking but came under increasing pressure when the scandal escalated and over fresh claims it had a cosy relationship with Murdoch's businesses. Stephenson, one of his deputies John Yates - who also quit last month amid the scandal - and two other ex-senior officers were referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
The watchdog on Wednesday cleared the four officers of misconduct over phone hacking and said its investigation into the matter would be dropped. But it said it would probe separate allegations that ex-assistant commissioner Yates had helped the daughter of Neil Wallis, a former NotW executive, to obtain a job with the London force. In a statement, Stephenson said the outcome of the investigation was "as I would have expected it to be", adding: "I regret resources have had to be expended on this matter."