Police chief's calls 'tapped by own force'

The Metropolitan Police unlawfully tapped the phone of one of their own senior officers, it was reported today.

The force listened to calls made by Chief Superintendent Ali Dizaei, legal adviser to the National Black Police Association (NBPA) and one of Britain's most senior ethnic minority police officers.

The interception has been ruled unlawful by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the BBC reported.

The NBPA said the tapping included calls in which Mr Dizaei gave advice to black and Asian colleagues in disputes with their own forces.

It said Mr Dizaei's calls were tapped during a police investigation called Operation Helios, during which the force recorded 3,500 private calls.

According to the BBC, the tribunal ruled that there were "no lawful grounds for the private intercepts".

A spokesman for the NBPA told the BBC they would be seeking compensation for members.

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said: "The Investigatory Powers Tribunal sat recently and we are reviewing their findings and assessing the implications."