Minister Defends Private Detective Use

A Justice Minister has defended hiring private detectives to investigate his colleagues.

Jonathan Djanogly, Conservative MP for Huntingdon, said that he had done so because he was upset about "malicious" allegations made about his private life in the press during the expenses scandal last year, but has admitted that he may have over-reacted.

His comments came after the Daily Telegraph received a copy of the report prepared for Mr Djanogly by Morris Chase International last year, when he was Shadow Solicitor General.

The Telegraph said that the report showed that Mr Djanogly had asked the firm to carry out "discreet inquiries under the pretext of writing a newspaper article" in order to discover who was behind a series of newspaper allegations which the MP claimed were untrue.

The firm said that all the information in the report had been obtained legally.

Mr Djanogly said that he had hired the firm because he was "extremely upset" about the allegations, but admitted that he may have over-reacted. He also stressed that he would "never have contemplated condoning anything unlawful or dishonest".

A spokesperson for Prime Minister David Cameron said that Mr Djanogly still had his full confidence, saying that the Prime Minister would judge hime on his performance as a minister.

Derek Holley, a former Conservative council leader of Huntingdonshire District Council and one of those targeted by the investigation, told the BBC that he was "very angry" about the revelations and said that Mr Djanogly should consider his position in the government.

(KMcA/BMcC)