THE family of murdered Gwent private eye Daniel Morgan fear shredded documents might have held clues into his death.
Details have emerged that documents held by the Metropolitan Police, which contained the findings of an undercover probe into criminal behaviour by police officers, were shredded.
Some of the papers are believed to have been from secret operation, Othona, an anti-corruption inquiry.
Mr Morgan, a private detective, was found with an axe in his head in a pub car park in south-east London on March 10, 1987.
His family, of Cwmbran, believe clues about his death could have been among those documents.
Mr Morgan’s brother, Alastair, 65, said: “My brother’s case is the most controversial in modern metropolitan history, so I would find it extraordinary if they had not been looking into that as part of their investigations.”
There is an ongoing review to try and establish the circumstances of Mr Morgan’s death, which was announced by the Home Secretary Theresa May in May, 2013.
Scotland Yard previously admitted corruption was a ‘debilitating factor’ in the first investigation.
Mr Morgan said he wants a guarantee from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner that any information they have on his brother will be handed to the independent panel that is undertaking the review.
He added: “As a family we haven’t had closure and the more we find out about the case, the worse it gets for us.
“I believe there must have been intelligence that is related to my brother in those documents and I want a guarantee that any information is handed over.”
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe is set to be grilled by MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee.
Newport West MP Paul Flynn, a member of the committee, said the Daniel Morgan case is on the agenda for the hearing, and said he would also ask the committee to investigate.
A spokesman for The Metropolitan Police explained that The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) was informed by a former employee on February 4, 2014 that in 2003, two members of staff were tasked to shred a quantity of documents that related to corruption enquiries.
He said the information supplied by the witness was ‘scant’.
He added: “MPS officers now intend to meet with the witness to clarify their account and obtain any further information that may assist future enquiries.
“At this time the MPS has little detail on the circumstances that led to the shredding or the exact documents destroyed.”
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