The senior management meeting at Scotland Yard yesterday would have been dominated by getting the Met off the top of the news agenda.

Bob Quick’s response to a fairly innocuous story was out of character and, in my view, came in the heat of the moment as he and his family faced a crisis. This is not the real story.

The key point is that the Metropolitan Police is finding it almost impossible to detach itself from party politics when it is called on to investigate allegations that go to the heart of the Establishment.

During the past couple of years the Met has been embroiled in controversial complaints. It began with cash for honours, then allegations that an MP was illegally bugged while visiting a prison inmate and now it is the rights and wrongs of the Home Office leaks investigation.

In my time, we regularly discussed stepping aside from such inquiries but that course of action cannot always be an option. Sometimes the only professional decision is to roll up your sleeves, do the police work and aim to minimise any potential political backlash. If you are lucky you will walk away with minor wounds.

As Bob Quick’s predecessor, I am aware of the pressures of holding down the top antiterrorism job in the country. Your every decision and reaction is scrutinised. Mr Quick knows that and will not be looking for sympathy. It is not a job for the faint hearted. However, this job is not the sole responsibility of one person. Whoever is leading a prominent investigation requires strong leadership at the top of the Met. The Met will always have to deal with such cases and recent events provide ample evidence that it needs a confident leader who can steer a path through the political minefield.

Andy Hayman was Assistant Commissioner for Special Operations at Scotland Yard from 2005-07

Times Recommends

• Phoebe Caldwell wins Times/Sternberg Award
• Raging against fake pop has its own pitfalls
• How a voice for everyone led to stalemate