Mayor faces 'shredding' inquiry

An official investigation has been launched into Ken Livingstone's claim he held a "shredding week" to avoid revealing sensitive documents.

Informat ion Commissioner Richard Thomas has written to the Mayor demanding "clarification of what actually took place during 'shredding week' " following a complaint from the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Thomas also makes clear how important it is to comply with new legislation, which made it a criminal offence to destroy documents if a valid request has been made for their release.

But Mr Livingstone hit back by publishing a dossier of complaints made against him by political opponents - showing that none had yet been upheld.

Speaking at a City Hall debate in February, Mr Livingstone made an apparently jokey reference to destroying documents to avoid havingto reveal them under the new Freedom of Information Act.

Lib-Dem group leader Lord Tope said: "It is good news for open, transparent and accountable government that the Information Commissioner has agreed to look in further detail at the remarks made by Mr Livingstone."

A spokeswoman for Mr Livingstone said the Assembly's practice of referring him to watchdogs was "predictable".

She added: "Do they want a Mayor with no sense of humour?"