THE Commissioner for Standards at the Welsh Assembly Sir Roderick Evans has tendered his resignation today, following allegations of secret recordings of confidential conversations.

In his resignation statement, Sir Roderick Evans said: "It has come to my attention that conversations with my staff about a variety of highly confidential and sensitive matters have been secretly, and possibly illegally, recorded over a period of what seems to be several months and in what seems to be a number of different locations by an Assembly Member.

"These have included highly confidential conversations with my staff including references to cases brought by members of the public.

"When considering and investigating complaints it is necessary for me and my staff to have open and frank discussions about the complaints, the appropriate approach to them, and their implications.

"Much of what has been shared with the media has been taken out of context and is misleading.

"That a Member of our National Assembly could behave in this way is wholly unacceptable. It undermines the integrity of the complaints procedure and brings our democratic process into disrepute.

"I’m not prepared to continue in my role as Standards Commissioner. I thank my staff for their support during the last three years, but I therefore ask you to accept my resignation."