Hayley Barlow · @Hayley_Barlow
19th Apr 2012 from Twitlonger
Statement from Neville Thurlbeck, (50) regarding Labour MP Tom Watson’s book:
“I am surprised and disappointed that Mr Watson has chosen to make public one of our private conversations which took place in the run up to me providing the CMS Committee with my statement. At no time did he informed me of his intention to do so.
“For clarification, I made it clear to him that I had no evidence to support the belief that the request originated from the editor’s office.
“In fact, it was implied that the surveillance plan originated from outside of the newspaper and elsewhere in News International.
“I have no desire or intention of revealing the identity of any of the personnel instructing or being instructed to carry out the surveillance.
“All the staff were extremely reluctant to carry out the surveillance. Though from a point of view of logistics and ethics, they unanimously introduced a large degree of procrastination until executives suddenly called a halt to the plan about ten days later. “
ends