News of the World accused of putting former Met commissioner under surveillance
Fresh allegations have emerged surrounding illicit activity conducted by the now defunct News of the World with claims that the paper hired a private detective to put a former Metropolitan Police Commissioner under surveillance.
The claims were levelled by Jonathan Rees, co-founder of Southern Investigations, who said that Lord Stevens was monitored by the tabloid after hearing a rumour that he was using a police aircraft to fly to Northumberland to see a mistress.
Stevens regularly flew the light plane, which he co-owned.
Rees alleges that Stevens was monitored by the paper to dig any dirt they could on him, a bid to exert influence on the former Police head.
Speaking to the independent voices website Rees said: “We were given instructions and an allegation that he was using a Met police plane from Biggin Hill to see his mistress in Northumbria.
“Now we did organise a surveillance team and we had teams in Northumbria and here, but he never showed up so whether the allegation was true or not, who knows?"
A spokesman for Lord Stevens denied that he had a mistress adding that he had never flown to Northumbria.