Met's Fedorcio faces questions at Leveson

By Oliver Hotham

The man responsible for the Metropolitan police's relations with the press is to appear at the Leveson inquiry today.

Dick Fedorcio will be questioned on the Met's relations with staff at News of the World.

He is expected to be asked how it came to pass that its former deputy editor Neil Wallis attained a consultancy job at Scotland Yard, a controversy for which Mr Fedorcio was given extended leave.

Given his job required developing a strategy to foster good relations with the press, information given by Mr Fedorcio will be crucial to understanding how the Met failed to adequately investigate allegations of phone-hacking at the News of the World.

The investigations of the inquiry last week revealed a "close relationship" between Mr Fedorcio, Mr Wallis and other senior officers.

Also speaking in front of Leveson this week are some of Britain's most prominent crime journalists, among them Jeff Edwards, chairman of the Crime Reporters' Association.