Leveson Inquiry: Police chief’s diary details dinners with News of the World editor

THE Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the editor of the News of the World dined together at The Ivy while murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler was missing, official diaries show.

Lord Stevens met various senior executives from national media while he was Britain’s top police officer between 2000 and 2005, according to his once-lost diaries.

The meetings included three dinners with former News of the World and Sun editor Rebekah Brooks at The Ivy, a favourite haunt of celebrities in central London, the diaries, released following a request under the Freedom of Information Act, show.

These included a three-hour dinner on 28 August, 2002, when Milly was missing. She disappeared in March and her body was found on 18 September.

Mrs Brooks resigned as News International chief executive on 15 July this year, saying she was “appalled and shocked” that Milly’s phone was hacked.

Two days later, Scotland Yard detectives arrested her on suspicion of phone hacking and corruption. She is currently on bail.

The former commissioner’s diary showed Mrs Brooks, under her maiden name, Wade, met Lord Stevens on at least six occasions between 2000 and 2005, including three dinners at The Ivy in August 2002, June 2003 and December 2004. Other meetings described lunch or dinner with “News of the World”, without naming the individuals.

Lord Stevens also dined with a series of other media executives during his time in office, including Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, the Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre, and former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan.

He also met representatives of the Daily Telegraph, the Times, the Independent, Daily Express, Financial Times, Observer, London’s Evening Standard, the BBC, ITN and Sky News.

Mark Lewis, the Dowler family’s lawyer, said the revelation “shows the level and type of contact between the police and News International”.