Speaker says no warrant for police search

By Tim Castle

LONDON (Reuters) - Police who caused an uproar by searching the office of Conservative MP Damian Green did not have a warrant, the speaker of the House of Commons said on Wednesday, saying a warrant would always be demanded in future.

Many MPs are furious that the speaker, Michael Martin, apparently failed to uphold ancient parliament privileges by letting the police search the office of the Tory immigration spokesman in parliament last Thursday.

Green, 52, was quizzed for nine hours by counter-terrorism officers after being arrested as part of an inquiry into Home Office leaks.

Some had called for Martin to be sacked but he averted the threat of a Conservative protest by agreeing to a parliamentary debate on the issue.

Martin said he was informed by a parliamentary security official, the sergeant-at-arms, early on Thursday that a MP's office might be searched, but he was not told that the police lacked a warrant.

"I have been told that the police did not explain, as they are required to do, that the sergeant was not obliged to consent or that a warrant could have been insisted upon," Martin told parliament.

"I was not asked the question of whether consent should be given or whether a warrant should have been insisted on. I did not personally authorise the search," he said.

Martin said he also regretted that the police did not tell him until Tuesday that Green was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in public office.