Ex police officers' claims about MP put trust of police at risk

At the weekend, the chief inspector of constabulary Sir Thomas Winsor said police had an “enduring” duty of confidentiality, even after they had left the service.

He was speaking after two retired police officers claimed legal pornography was found on Mr Green’s office computer.

The former Greater Manchester chief constable Sir Peter Fahy also criticised the retired officers, saying that they were entering “dangerous territory” and that the police should stay out of politics.

If, as the retired officers say, the pornography was legal, why were they divulging that information?

They must know that Mr Green would be diminished by such claims, even if he had not behaved illegally.

Viewing legal pornography on a work computer might well be a sacking offence, but that is a matter for the employer.

In this case it is Mr Green’s word against two men who are making claims against him.

The police did not emerge well the last time this happened, when some officers made claims against Andrew Mitchell MP in the ‘Plebgate’ row.

They have not emerged well from some of their ill advised comments and conduct when investigating historic sex claims against deceased politicians such as Leon Brittan and Sir Edward Heath.

The overwhelming majority of police officers do a difficult job honourably. They rightly have the trust of tens of millions of members of the public. Being trusted to keep confidential information that is garnered during investigations is at the heart of that trust.

But the handling by a small number of officers of incidents such as this one involving Mr Green put that trust in jeopardy.