BY JONATHAN FOSTER Two Cabinet ministers may have sanctioned hurried measures to stop John Stalker concluding a potentially embarrassing investigation of death

BY JONATHAN FOSTER

Two Cabinet ministers may have sanctioned hurried measures to stop John Stalker concluding a potentially embarrassing investigation of “death squads” operated by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the High Court in Liverpool was told yesterday.
Mr Stalker, former deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, said that a confidential document he had seen suggested a high-level decision had been taken to remove him in 1986.Those who received the document were identified only by their initials, and Mr Stalker said he could not therefore be certain who began moves which led in May to his suspension.But the initials “TK” could have been those of Tom King, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and “DH” may have been the then Home Secretary, Douglas Hurd. A senior civil servant in the Northern Ireland Office, Sir Robert Andrew, may have been “RA” on the document.Mr Stalker was giving evidence on subpoena from Kevin Taylor, a friend whose alleged criminal connections were the reason given for Mr Stalker’s removal from command of the inquiry. Six men had been killed in three incidents amid claims that RUC squads had adopted “shoot-to-kill” tactics.Mr Taylor, 63, was investigated rigorously by Greater Manchester Police, culminating only in an abortive fraud trial in 1990. He seeks damages from Sir James Anderton, the former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester.Sir James played a minor role in the series of events Mr Stalker said represented “hurried” attempts to be rid of him. He added that Sir Philip Myers, HM Inspector of Constabulary, was the prime mover, with encouragement from the Northern Ireland Office. Politicians could not remove police officers from police investigations, and Sir Philip’s role “straddled the politics of policing and policing itself”.

Sir Philip knew as early as March 1985 that the investigation would reveal “things he did not know were there to be revealed”, Mr Stalker told the court.The information used to bring disciplinary allegations against him were based on a “histrionic and self-justifying report” compiled from rumour and gossip by Detective Superintendent Peter Topping, operational head of CID. Mr Stalker told the court that neither Det Chief Supt Topping, nor his superior, Assistant Chief Constable Ralph Lees, had experience of conducting criminal investigations.During an interval in the Ulster investigation, Mr Stalker said he was disturbed to learn that the presence of freemasons in the CID was increasing. Competent detectives in the fraud and drug squads had been replaced by officers who were freemasons. Mr Stalker told the court he sought an explanation from Det Chief Supt Topping. “He was very proud to admit he was a freemason,”he said.Mr Topping told Mr Stalker that ability was the main criterion he used in selecting officers.

But “all things being equal,” he found he could trust fellow freemasons. Mr Topping had established a special squad, known as the Drugs Intelligence Unit. But the squad was concealed from Mr Stalker, even though he had operational responsibility for its work. From what he had learned of the unit, Mr Stalker said, it used “wholly disproportionate” resources and that its purpose was to investigate him, not drugs.The case continues.. BY JOHN RENTOUL

Political Correspondent
Peter Lilley, Secretary of State for Social Security, attacked mortgage lenders for taking “fat commissions” on mortgage insurance policies and accused their spokesman of being “extraordinarily complacent”, in a row over his plans to persuade people to take out private insurance to protect themselves if they are unemployed or sick.He clashed with Adrian Coles, director-general of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, as a report commissioned by the Government said mortgage protection policies are no substitute for social security benefits.Mr Coles said on BBC Radio yesterday: “There is a clear indication in the report that mortgage protection policies sold by insurance companies to home-buyers are not really worth a great deal.”Mr Lilley responded: “It is his members who have been selling these policies. If he thinks they are as worthless as he is pretending, presumably they will now be handing back the fat commissions they have taken.”He defended his plans to replace Income Support, which he intends to withdraw for mortgages for the first nine months for new claimants from this October He said Mr Coles was “being extraordinarily complacent.

He wants to see continue a system which allows 50,000 repossessions a year … We want to make sure that in future anyone who takes out a mortgage has proper protection.”He rejected the findings of researchers at Loughborough, who were asked by the Department of the Environment to look at the problems of mortgage arrears and repossessions.The report says policies do not seem to offer adequate protection. “It is hard to see what could be gained by expanding them in their current form. Indeed, it could be argued that in many instances they take borrowers’ resources that might otherwise be put towards mortgage payments, while offering little in return.”Nick Raynsford, Labour housing spokesman, said: “This is the Government’s own report and it provides conclusive evidence that Peter Lilley’s plan is misconceived.” Labour will oppose the regulations making the change in the Commons, with the support of building societies and banks, which fear they will undermine confidence in the housing market by increasing repossessions.The Loughborough University study found that two-thirds of claims on mortgage protection policies were unsuccessful. t Mortgage Arrears and Possessions: Perspectives from Borrowers, Lenders and the Courts; Janet Ford, Elaine Kempson and Marilyn Wilson; Dept of the Environment; HMSO; pounds 25.. A computer expert was celebrating victory last night in her bid to win maternity rights for parents who adopt children. Janet Alderson claimed she had been forced out of her job with chemical giants ICI on Teesside when she adopted a two-year-old girl last year.
In the first proceedings of their kind, the former pounds 19,000-a-year systems administrator claimed she was entitled to the same rights as natural mothers.After two days of evidence at a Middlesbrough industrial tribunal, a compromise was reached with ICI agreeing to introduce a policy with rights for parents who adopt and Mrs Alderson agreeing to withdraw her claim lodged under the Sexual Discrimination Act.Mrs Alderson, 38, from Redcar, Cleveland, said she was delighted with the result “This was never about money,” she said “It was about the rights of parents”.

BY LIZ HUNT

Medical Correspondent
The secret of male sexuality has, for centuries, eluded the best efforts of scientists – and the understanding of most women. Now Greek researchers have uncovered the basic truth; it’s all about orgasms and how often men have them.This conclusion follows a study of orgasm frequency – a reliable indicator of male sexual behaviour – among young soldiers at an Athens base. They were asked to recall the average number of orgasms they had had per week over a month.To ensure answers were accurate and typical of the average European male, the men were told that “the total number of events rather than their mode of initiation” was the important factor. Masturbatory and spontaneous nocturnal orgasms were as relevant as those associated with intercourse.Dr Christos Mantzoros of Harvard Medical School, who oversaw the study, said this instruction was necessary to safeguard the validity of the findings.