January 25, 2006

AN ITN journalist has been arrested over a story the station broadcast about the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.

The reporter has been arrested on suspicion of theft by detectives investigating the leaking of statements from the official inquiry.

The arrest comes as police anxiously await the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over whether any police officers should face criminal charges following the fatal shooting on 22nd July last year.

The CPS decision is expected in September this year, 14 months after Mr de Menezes death. Up to ten officers could potentially face charges.

Responding to the journalists' arrest, ITV News's editor in chief David Mannion, said: 'We absolutely stand by the story, the way we covered it and the way we got the story; it was to our usual high editorial standards.'

It is understood the journalist - a news producer - saw documents which were part of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)investigation.

It emerged today that the journalist was arrested in October at his home as part of an investigation Leicestershire police are carrying out into the leak.

A 43-year-old IPCC employee was also arrested and has now resigned from the commission. Leicestershire police said that a 30-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal. All three people who have been arrested remain on police bail.

The IPCC were heavily critical of the actions of Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Ian Blair in the aftermath of the shooting for refusing to allow IPCC staff access to the scene at Stockwell shooting. Sir Ian failed to persuade the Metropolitan Police Authority to ban the IPCC from investigating the death.