Tories release MP office raid footage

Counter-terror police vid

By Austin Modine • Get more from this author

Posted in Government, 3rd December 2008 00:31 GMT

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Video footage of counter-terrorism police searching the parliamentary offices of MP Damian Green has been released on the Tory party's WebCameron website today.

The vid shows MP Andrew Mackay confronting officers as they prepare to search Green's confidential Commons documents.

"This is currently a scene we're going to search and its not appropriate that you be there," an unidentified policeman tells Mackay as he ushers him out.

Green's homes and offices were searched on 27 November following his arrest, on suspicion of leaking embarrassing information from the Home Office.

In the released film, shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve describes the search of Green's parliamentary offices as "depriving him completely of his ability to carry out his work as a member of parliament."

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith denies having prior knowledge of the arrest despite her department initiating the inquiry and said she will be making a Parliamentary statement on the affair. She accused the Tories of condoning "systematic" leaking of confidential Home Office information.

London's Metropolitan Police today appointed a senior transport police officer to review its own handling of the inquiry.

Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin is due tomorrow to make a statement on the raid ahead of a debate on the Queen's speech. ®

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