John Yates of Scotland Yard resigned over the News Of The World Phone-hacking Scandal

Paul Stephenson and another senior officer John Yates of Scotland Yard resigned on 18 July 2011 over the News Of The World (NoW) phone-hacking scandal. Their links with News International, Rupert Murdoch’s British media group led to their submitting their resignation.

They resigned after it emerged that Scotland Yard employed a former deputy editor of the now defunct News of the World, Neil Wallis as an adviser even as it was investigating the newspaper for hacking allegations. Wallis was arrested for his alleged involvement in illegally accessing voicemails during his time at NoW.

The resignation of Yates, an assistant commissioner of police, came after he was told that he would be suspended and referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), for his unsatisfactory investigation of hacking allegations. He was also criticised for not reopening the investigation in 2009 despite fresh leads prompting questions about his links with the Murdoch press.

The resignations of Paul Stephenson & John Yates prove that police was linked to illegal phone interception which provided the journalists with exclusive information.