Phone hacking spotlight falls on top police officer

Published on 29/06/2012 01:52

The deputy chief constable of Surrey Police is being investigated over claims that he failed to act over the hacking of schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s phone.

Craig Denholm, who was the senior investigating officer on the Dowler case in 2002, is being investigated along with temporary Detective Superintendent Maria Woodall, who took over as senior investigating officer in 2006, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said yesterday.

The investigation will focus on the senior officers’ alleged knowledge that Milly’s phone was hacked by the News of the World in 2002 and any actions taken, the watchdog said.

Mark Lewis, the Dowler family’s lawyer, said: “The Dowler family welcomes the proper investigation of what happened at Surrey Police ten years ago.

“They regret that the passage of time means that some individuals can now no longer be investigated.”

An IPCC spokesman said: “The IPCC investigation is considering whether Mr Denholm was aware during Operation Ruby that the NOTW had accessed Milly Dowler’s voicemail in 2002 and his handling of that information.”

The watchdog is also examining information provided by Ms Woodall during the internal inquiry into the force response to allegations that Milly’s voicemail had been illegally accessed.