High-flyer seldom out of spotlight

UNTIL recently, John Yates was seen as a safe pair of hands at Scotland Yard, a clever copper with a record of investigating controversial cases.

Educated at Marlborough College and King’s College, he joined the Met in 1981 and led investigations into more than 20 murders.

The senior Metropolitan Police officer was made assistant commissioner in December 2006 with a wide portfolio covering police complaints, intelligence, legal matters and high-profile inquiries.