BP’S incoming chief executive fired the executive responsible for deep water wells like the one that blew out in the Gulf of Mexico and announced a new unit to police safety practices throughout the company.

Embattled BP boss Tony Hayward defended the firm’s safety record tonight as he was grilled by a committee of MPs over the implications of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

BP's investigation into the Gulf of Mexico spill sparked a backlash from its contractors and US politicians who accused the oil giant of attempting to shift some of the blame.

A “complex and interlinked” series of events involving mechanical failures and human judgments led to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, a report by oil giant BP said today.

BP will today publish the findings of an investigation into the causes of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster which led to the largest offshore spill in history.