Met hacking claim: IPCC asks whistleblowers to come forward

Police watchdog is investigating claims unit used hackers in India to obtain passwords of campaigners and journalists

A watchdog investigating claims that a Scotland Yard unit illegally accessed the private emails of hundreds of political campaigners and journalists has appealed for whistleblowers to come forward.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) launched its investigation after an anonymous individual alleged that the unit used hackers in India to obtain the passwords of the email accounts of the campaigners, and some reporters and press photographers. Two were alleged to work for the Guardian, although neither was named.