A former News of the World executive will not face charges over the phone hacking scandal after spending almost two years on police bail.
Neil Wallis, former deputy editor of the defunct tabloid, was arrested on suspicion of intercepting voicemails in July 2011. Today the Crown Prosecution Service said it would take no further action against him.
Wallis, 62, revealed the decision on Twitter, writing: “After 21 months of hell for my family, CPS have just told my solicitors that there will be NO prosecution of me re my phone hacking arrest.” Known as “The Wolfman”, he had close links to Scotland Yard and was appointed as a PR consultant to former Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson after he left the News of the World.
The Met’s former press chief Dick Fedorcio left his job after it emerged Mr Wallis was paid £24,000 by the force in 2009 and 2010 for “strategic communication advice and support”, when the newspaper was under scrutiny over phone hacking. Alison Levitt QC, principal legal advisor to the Director of Public Prosecutions, said: “The CPS has concluded that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.”
