Yard to probe Mayor's party

Police are now to investigate the case of the Mayor and his drunken tussle with a partygoer who fell 15 feet down a stairwell.

Detectives have been ordered by Scotland Yard chiefs to question 35-year-old Robin Hedges over the incident which left him unconscious and needing brain scans.

The dramatic move came as Ken Livingstone was summoned before the London assembly to answer a damning signed statement printed in the Evening Standard yesterday in which Mr Hedges tells exactly what happened that night.

In an extraordinary move, Trevor Phillips, chairman of the London Assembly, said he the meeting was crucial to find out the truth.

Mr Livingstone has denied claims by Mr Hedges that there was a violent tussle at the party after the Mayor was involved in a row with his pregnant girlfriend, Emma Beal.

He also quoted an unsigned statement by Mr Hedges - issued by the Mayor's office - which initially claimed the incident was an accident.

Mr Hedges, an employee of the Evening Standard's ES magazine, says he was pressurised into making the earlier statement by Mr Livingstone's office and Ms Beal.

Police are allowed to bring charges against the Mayor even if no complaint is received if they judge there is sufficient evidence of a crime.

The latest action has been authorised at the highest level.

As for the London Assembly meeting next Wednesday, Mr Livingstone cannot be compelled to appear. However, if members remain unhappy about his non-appearance, or his failure to explain himself properly, they can refer the matter to the local government watchdog, the Standards Board of England, which has the power to suspend him for a year or bar him from public office for five years.

They could argue he has bought his office into disrepute, an offence under the Greater London Authority Act.

Assembly members are concerned that GLA facilities, paid for by the taxpayer, are being used by the Mayor.

The quote attributed to Mr Hedges was obtained by his office and circulated by his press office.

The incident took place at the 40th birthday party of Kate Beal, Emma's sister.

Last night, Kate, Emma and another friend, Mike Furniss, also issued a one-line statement to this paper denying the comments attributed to them in our report.

Intriguingly, the letter was sent out by Mr Livingstone's office, as was Mr Hedges' initial statement.

Mr Hedges said yesterday that his fall was caused by Mr Livingstone. He told how he fell as he tried to calm the Mayor, who had been arguing with Ms Beal, 36.

He said: "It is time for the truth to come out. I believe as a result of Ken's action I plunged over the wall."

Mr Phillips said: "We need to do this to give the Mayor an opportunity to explain. The Mayor made the statement to us and subsequent reports have challenged the veracity of that statement.

"There is a danger of the office being brought into disrepute. There are also other issues about the use of GLA resources and we would be in dereliction of our duties if we did not examine these matters."

Mr Livingstone's office claims the fall was "a simple accident" and the Mayor says the Evening Standard's story was part of a plot to smear him and secure a Tory Mayor.