British police tonight dropped their bid to force the Guardian newspaper to reveal confidential sources for stories relating to the phone hacking scandal.
Scotland Yard’s attempt to identify potential police leaks was widely condemned, with the newspaper’s editor Alan Rusbridger describing it as “vindictive and disproportionate”.
A police spokesman said: “The Metropolitan Police’s Directorate of Professional Standards yesterday consulted the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) about the alleged leaking of information by a police officer from Operation Weeting.
“The CPS has today asked that more information be provided to its lawyers and for appropriate time to consider the matter.
“In addition the MPS has taken further legal advice this afternoon and as a result has decided not to pursue, at this time, the application for production orders scheduled for hearing on Friday 23 September. We have agreed with the CPS that we will work jointly with them in considering the next steps.”
The police force applied for production orders as part of Operation Weeting, its investigation into phone hacking.
An officer working on the operation was arrested last month on suspicion of misconduct in public office relating to the unauthorised disclosure of information. He has been suspended from the force and is on bail.
Scotland Yard said the investigation into the alleged leaks had not concluded however, and stressed their investigation was “about establishing whether a police officer has leaked information, and gathering any evidence that proves or disproves that”.
The spokesman added: “Despite recent media reports, there was no intention to target journalists or disregard journalists’ obligations to protect their sources.
“It is not acceptable for police officers to leak information about any investigation, let alone one as sensitive and high profile as Operation Weeting.”
Among the information the police was said to be seeking was the source of the newspaper’s report disclosing that the mobile phone of murdered teenager Milly Dowler had been hacked.
The story prompted a massive public outcry and led to the former proprietor of the now defunct News of the World, Rupert Murdoch, personally apologising to the Dowlers. The family of the schoolgirl is now set to receive a multimillion-pound payout.
Guardian reporter Amelia Hill was interviewed under caution by Scotland Yard over alleged leaks from Operation Weeting.
Ms Hill, the newspaper’s special investigations correspondent, who has broken a string of exclusives about the inquiry, spoke to officers earlier this month following the arrest of the 51-year-old detective constable from the force.
Mr Rusbridger told Radio 4’s PM programme the police were trying to “defeat the privilege journalists have to protect their sources”.
Speaking after Scotland Yard announced their intention to apply for production orders, the editor said: "What they are trying to do is to find out the source of the embarrassment of the articles - and no doubt The Guardian's coverage was embarrassing to the police.
“It looks vindictive and it looks ill-judged and disproportionate.”