Complaints body to investigate alleged police media-informer

Surrey Police reported the matter to the complaints body. The IPCC is a sovereign organisation separate from the police force. It has responsibility to ensure police complaints are handled properly.

"The IPCC has received a voluntary referral from Surrey Police regarding information they received alleging that a Surrey officer gave information to the News of the World in relation to the investigation into Milly Dowler’s murder in 2002," the IPCC statement said.

"A decision has been made that the IPCC will independently investigate," the statement said.

In the UK police officers have to abide by specific codes of conduct governing their behaviour. The Professional Standards of Behaviour code sets out rules on confidentiality and states that police must "treat information with respect and access or disclose it only in the proper course of police duties". Police rules also state that officers must act with honesty and integrity and not abuse their position.

Under provisions in the Police (Conduct) Regulations behaviour by an officer that, if proved, would amount to gross misconduct must be investigated. Police officers can be suspended, disciplined, and in serious cases dismissed and face criminal proceedings for breaches of professional standards.

The News of the World was closed in July amidst phone hacking allegations. A private investigator working for the paper is alleged to have hacked into voicemail messages left on phones. It has been alleged that the phones of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and the families of people killed during the terrorist bombings in London were among those hacked.