Exclusive: James Harding faces more questions after journalist broke into policeman's Hotmail to expose him as blogger
The editor of the Times, James Harding, is to be recalled to the Leveson inquiry, following disclosures that the paper used email hacking in 2009. Harding did not disclose the full circumstances when he was previously questioned by the inquiry but appears to have been used to identify a polic blogger known as Nightjack.
On Thursday, The Labour MP Tom Watson said that police had also now written to him, agreeing to investigate complaints made by him about the Times's behaviour.
The Guardian last month disclosed further details behind guarded references to an alleged email hacking "attempt", made by the Times and News International executives in their Leveson witness statements.
The reporter Patrick Foster guessed security questions that enabled him to break in to an anonymous hotmail account. It was run by DC Richard Horton, of Lancashire police, whose Nightjack blog about police life had recently been awarded the prestigious Orwell prize. Foster was thus helped to 'out' his identity, according to Times sources.
The Times subsequently fought off a legal bid by Horton to protect his identity, without disclosing to the high court that the identity had been obtained from the Hotmail account. Mr Justice Eady tried the case on the basis that Horton's identity had been "deduced" from legitimate public sources.
The Times says that its reporter told managers what he had done, and Harding as the paper's editor, subsequently ruled that his behaviour was unprofessional and should lead to a reprimand.
Foster, who later left the paper, has subsequently written freelance contributions for the Guardian and the Telegraph. It was confirmed on Thursday morning that the Leveson inquiry was to recall Harding. The judicial inquiry has the power to compel testimony on oath from witnesses.
The Times's difficulties began after Lord Justice Leveson sent questionnaires to all newspaper organisations, which included a demand for any knowledge of computer hacking to be disclosed. News International's chief executive, Tom Mockridge, the company's lawyer, and the Times editor all referred to a single such "attempt" in 2009 without giving details.
Harding confirmed to Leveson that the hacking was of a third party's computer, but did not elaborate.
Watson wrote to the Met's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers, asking the force to investigate.
The Met said in a statement: "We can confirm that a letter was received on Monday 23 January, from MP Tom Watson.
"Officers from Operation Tuleta are in contact with Mr Watson in relation to specific issues he wishes to raise. We are not prepared to give a running commentary on the Operation Tuleta investigation."
Watson said on Twitter on Thursday: "The Met police have confirmed to me they are investigating @rupertmurdoch's newspaper The Times over email hacking."