Law firm urged to explain claims

A TOP law firm yesterday came under renewed pressure to explain claims it failed to raise the alarm over evidence of police bribes at News International.

House of Commons home affairs committee chairman Keith Vaz has asked Harbottle & Lewis to clarify why it did not hand over files while representing the newspaper group.

The MP was referring to evidence from Lord Macdonald, the former director of public prosecutions, who said a police probe into payments to officers could have been launched as far back as 2007.