Dramatis personae in the Met decline | Three years of errors | Comment Central: now we understand | Where now for Bob Quick?

The top police officer leading the Home Office leaks inquiry was forced into a humiliating apology today after claiming that the Conservatives had deliberately tried to undermine him and his investigation.

Bob Quick, the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner in charge of specialist operations and counter-terrorism, was forced to move his children out of his home after deciding that a newspaper report about his wife's business compromised his family's security.

Contacted by a reporter, he then suggested that the Tories were behind the article and said that they were "mobilised" against his investigation "in a wholly corrupt way".

As head of the Home Office leaks inquiry, it was Mr Quick who approved the controversial arrest of Damian Green, the Tory frontbencher, and the raid on his parliamentary office on November 27.

Mr Quick retracted the allegation of corruption last night but stood by his wider claim that the Tories were out to nobble his inquiry.

Today, in a brief statement released by the Met, he backed down completely.

"I have now reflected on the comments I made yesterday at a difficult time for me and my family," Mr Quick said.

"I wish to make clear that it was not my intention to make any allegations and retract my comments. I apologise unreservedly for any offence or embarrassment that I have caused."

Earlier, David Cameron, the Tory leader, had called on Mr Quick to retract the comments. "I can absolutely guarantee that the Conservative Party had nothing to do with the publication of this story," he told LBC Radio. "So I think Bob Quick really does have to withdraw what is a completely baseless allegation.

"I am sure he will want to do that because in life, if you make a mistake, the best thing to do is to correct it as quickly as you can. So that’s what he ought to do."

Although some Tories had privately questioned the officer's judgment after his outburst, Mr Cameron said he was "perfectly happy" to work with Mr Quick on a professional basis and said it was not for him to decide whether he was the right man for the job.

But he again insisted the entire investigation into Mr Green was "misconceived" - because the party's immigration spokesman had simply been doing his job in exposing Government failures. "I have felt all along that this was misconceived and the sooner it comes to an end the better, and I suspect it will fairly shortly," he said.

Dominic Grieve, the Shadow Home Secretary, said: “We accept Assistant Commissioner Quick’s unreserved apology and this draws a line under the matter.”

The row which followed Mr Green’s arrest saw opposition MPs make claims of political interference in policing and raised questions about whether officers had abused their powers.

It also put the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, at loggerheads with the Acting Commissioner of the Met, Sir Paul Stephenson. Mr Johnson, who forced Sir Paul's predecessor, Sir Ian Blair, from office, has admitted having spoken to Mr Green even though he is chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority.

Mr Quick, the former chief constable of Surrey Police, was among the applicants to replace Sir Ian but failed to make the shortlist.

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