Police are to reassess the investigation into the theft of Morgan McSweeney’s phone, after admitting officers recorded the wrong address when he reported the crime.
Sir Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff told the Metropolitan Police that his device had been snatched in central London last October, but the force instead recorded the incident in Belgrave Street, Tower Hamlets.
The investigation into the theft will now be reopened to assess if there is further evidence, after concerns were raised that messages between him and Lord Peter Mandelson could now be lost.
Communications between ministers and Lord Mandelson are due to be published in an effort to shed light on his appointment as US ambassador despite his links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr McSweeney, who is said to have pushed for the former Labour peer’s appointment as US ambassador, resigned as Sir Keir’s chief of staff earlier this year over his role in the decision.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Tuesday that a man in his forties had reported his phone being snatched, and they are now reviewing the case following the administrative error.
Police said a previous review of the allegation, including whether there was CCTV available, “did not identify any realistic lines of inquiry” and the investigation was closed.
But while responding to a recent media inquiry, they became aware the incorrect address was recorded at the time of the initial call to police, and it should have been noted as Belgrave Road in Westminster.
The error will now be amended, and the force will reassess whether there is available evidence, police said.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said on Wednesday that the loss of messages through the theft was a “cock-up rather than conspiracy”.
Mr Streeting said Mr McSweeney “couldn’t have known” the exchanges would later be needed for scrutiny and told Times Radio: “I can totally understand the cynicism in these sorts of cases, but do bear in mind that when his phone was stolen, it was reported to the police at the time.
“He couldn’t at that stage have known that Parliament would ask for the publication of all messages in the way that they have in quite an unprecedented way.
“Yes, sometimes in politics things can be explained as a result of conspiracy. In other times, more often than not, it is a result of cock-up rather than conspiracy.”
A Met Police spokesperson said: “On Monday 20 October police received a report from a man in his 40s alleging that his phone had been snatched.
“The incident was recorded as having taken place in Belgrave Street, E1.
“A review of the allegation, including a consideration of whether there was available CCTV, did not identify any realistic lines of inquiry. The investigation was subsequently closed.
“In the course of responding to a recent media inquiry, we became aware that the address was entered incorrectly at the time of the initial call and should instead have been recorded as Belgrave Road, Pimlico.
“Having identified this error, the report will be amended and the assessment of whether there is available evidence revisited.”
The loss of the device comes as communications between ministers and Lord Mandelson are due to be published in an effort to shed light on his appointment as US ambassador despite links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Despite the loss of the phone, it is understood that the Cabinet Office does have some of the messages between Mr McSweeney and Lord Mandelson.
A government spokesperson previously said: “We are committed to complying with the humble address in full while continuing to support the Metropolitan Police with their investigation.”
But the Conservatives have previously claimed the theft of the phone “stinks of a cover-up”.
Tory frontbencher Alex Burghart said: “We had to drag the Mandelson files out of Keir Starmer and now we find the phone of his former chief of staff and protege of Mandelson won't be part of the disclosure. The whole thing stinks of a cover-up.”
Lord Mandelson was arrested on 23 February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, having been accused of passing sensitive information to Epstein during his time as business secretary.
Sir Keir has repeatedly said that he is sorry for believing Lord Mandelson’s “lies” over his connection to the sex offender and for appointing him to the high-profile role in Washington. The prime minister has also made a frank apology to the victims of Epstein for the decision.
