Green 'Warned Of Life In Prison' Over Home Office Leaks

The Conservative MP who was arrested during an inquiry into Home Office leaks, was warned he would face life imprisonment, he has revealed.

Tory frontbencher Damian Green was detained for nine hours following his arrest last November on suspicion of "conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office, and aiding and abetting, counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office".

Mr Green said of the police: "They said 'Do you realise this offence could lead to life imprisonment?'

"I assume it's because it's a common law offence therefore because there is....no law on the statute book which I was alleged to have broken, then presumably there is no set sentence for it.

"I just thought this was absurd."

However, yesterday the Director of Public Prosecutions concluded the leaked information was not damaging enough for charges to be brought against Mr Green of Home Office civil servant Christopher Galley who was also behind the leaks.

Meanwhile Mr Green, the shadow immigration officer, said he believed Jacqui Smith was "not good as Home Secretary", but added he was not calling for her resignation because she "would only be replaced by someone similar".

The Home Secretary, who is currently under an expenses investigation, said it would have been "irresponsible" for police not to have taken action.

Mr Green said he was "very pleased" with the prosecutors' decision, adding: "A large part of my job as Conservative immigration spokesman is to expose government failings in immigration policy.

"That is precisely what I was doing, and that is why ministers were so embarrassed."

(JM/BMcC)