Sally Murrer, a reporter with the Milton Keynes Citizen, has been charged with three counts of aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office. A former Thames Valley detective sergeant, Mark Kearney, and his son, Harry, are also facing a series of charges involving misconduct in a public office. A fourth person, Derek Webb, faces five similar accusations.
The charges, which relate to the alleged leaking of sensitive information to the media, follow a six-month investigation by Thames Valley police's professional standards department and Hertfordshire police. All four, who were initially arrested in May, have been released on bail and will appear before Kingston magistrates next Thursday.
A spokesman for Johnston Press, which owns the Citizen, said the announcement came as a surprise to those who have worked with Ms Murrer, who is an experienced journalist. He said: "We have no doubt that Sally will wish to clear her name of this damaging accusation and to that end Johnston Press will continue to support her both morally and in terms of financial assistance to pay for legal advice and representation.
"In view of the fact that proceedings are now active, it is unlikely that we shall make any further comment, at least for the time being." (Via Milton Keynes Citizen)
