As the Original Poster, I do not see how the nasty little bit of gossip given unnecessary publicity by itwasme can possibly be relevant to my OP. As promised, I'm keeping a watching brief while I make up my mind. I'm not certain I agee with John Blakely and Chugalug2, but I like the way they conduct the debate.
For those taking the broad line "BoI can be corrupted, so let in the Plods", I'd ask what they think about Leveson's indications (I stress that word) of police subordination to influential publishers. The AAIB are an example to all, perhaps they should investigate ALL accidents, Mil and Civ?