A top policeman has been called in to investigate Scotland Yard's handling of the arrest of Damian Green, the Tory frontbencher caught up in an investigation into Home Office leaks, the Metropolitan Police said today.

Mr Green, the Shadow Immigration Minister, was held and questioned for nine hours last Thursday after the earlier arrest of a junior Home Office official accused of repeated leaks.

His homes and offices, including in the Commons, were searched and his computer, phone and other communications equipment seized in raids which even involved the deployment of specialist counter-terrorism officers.

The Conservatives have since complained bitterly about the heavy-handed treatment meted out to Mr Green and MPs from other parties have also expressed grave concerns about the decision to allow police to search Commons property.

Expert View

Barring another moment of madness at the Met, this unnecessary and calamitous investigation will be dropped

Sean O'Neill, Crime and Security Editor

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In a statement this morning, Acting Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Paul Stephenson said that Ian Johnston, Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, would lead the investigation.

"I am properly concerned about the issues being raised within the continuing debate surrounding the ongoing investigation into the leaking of Government information," Mr Stephenson said.

"I have therefore appointed Ian Johnston, Chairman of ACPO Crime Committee and Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, to conduct an urgent review of our decisions, actions and handling of the investigation to date and to provide me with an interim report within 7 days and a final report within two weeks.

"In the meantime the investigation team will be meeting with the CPS to review progress and consider next steps.

Mr Johnston, 63, took over as head of the British Transport Police (BTP) in 2001 after retiring from the Met, where he had been an Assistant Commissioner.

The fact that the BTP, which police the country's railways, falls under the control of the Department of Transport and not the Home Office means that he is able to claim his full police pension plus a salary of around £200,000, making him Britain's best-paid policeman.

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