Gay officer handed new role

By Marc Shoffman • May 31, 2006 - 0:00

Brian Paddick first attracted public notoriety when as commander of Brixton Police, he pioneered a liberal attitude to cannabis

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Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Brian Paddick, Britain's highest ranking gay policeman, has been moved to a less high profile role.

The officer will retain his commissioner job but will no longer be in charge of the riot squad as part of Territorial Policing, after being given the task of setting up a new information system by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair.

It is believed Sir Ian acted to reassert his authority after information from a private meeting was leaked last week regarding the cost of removing anti war protester Brian Haw's posters.

Mr Paddick was accused of exposing the information but denied the claims, the Daily Mail reports.

He first attracted public notoriety when as commander of Brixton Police, he pioneered a liberal attitude to cannabis.

The 47-year-old, who can retire on a full pension in November, faced trouble earlier this year after allegedly telling a reporter he had made a statement to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) which said a senior member of the head of the Met's office believed the wrong man had been targeted just six hours after Jean Charles de Menezes was killed at Stockwell tube station because he was a suspected suicide bomber.

A Scotland Yard spokesman told the Daily Mail that Mr Paddick was moved 'for organisational reasons'.

Mr Paddick was unavailable for comment.

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