I overreacted, says Tory MP who hired detectives

A GOVERNMENT minister has defended his decision to hire a firm of private detectives to carry out undercover investigations of his aides and colleagues.

Tory Jonathan Djanogly said he acted in a bid to find the source of "malicious allegations" made about him in the press but conceded he may have over- reacted.

Mr Djanogly, MP for Huntingdon, spoke out after the publication of a report prepared for him by Morris Chase International last year when he was shadow solicitor general.

It showed he instructed the firm to conduct "discreet inquiries under the pretext of writing a newspaper article" to establish the views of people including a former council leader.

The firm said all the information was obtained legally and Mr Djanogly insisted he would "never have contemplated condoning anything unlawful or dishonest".

Downing Street sources said however that such behaviour "cannot be condoned".

One of those targeted, Tory ex-leader of Huntingdon Council Derek Holley, is now considering lodging a formal complaint with the Office of the Information Commissioner.

In a statement, Mr Djanogly said: "Following a series of malicious allegations made against me in newspapers last year, I felt I had to act to find out who was spreading these untrue stories.

"I instructed a firm of private investigators to try to find out the source of these stories because I was extremely upset that my private family life had been invaded.

"A report of their investigation was prepared and sent to me on a confidential basis and I am very disappointed to see the report released publicly without my consent.

"I am sorry if some people judge that I made a mistake. With hindsight I can see that I may have overreacted, but I was being subjected to very malicious, anonymous attacks on my family."