THE GAY POLICE CHIEF, HIS EX-LOVER AND A NASTY CASE OF 'KISS AND TELL'

Smear Campaign: The Man Who Liberalised The Policing Of Cannabis Laws In
Lambeth Now Faces The Wrath Of The Mail On Sunday

The vultures have been circling for some weeks now and they may have
finally got their prey. Brian Paddick, arguably Britain's most high profile
policeman, has attracted powerful enemies with a radical agenda-setting
drugs policy. The fact that Mr Paddick, Metropolitan Police commander for
the London borough of Lambeth, is openly gay, media savvy and willing to
tackle such issues as the politics of anarchism has done little to placate
them.

Last night, in an exclusive interview with The Independent on Sunday, he
mounted a rigorous defence against the most vicious attack yet. Yesterday
he was contacted by a tabloid Sunday newspaper and told of their intention
to publish lurid sexual and drug-related allegations made by a former partner.

Mr Paddick, who pioneered a softly, softly approach on cannabis in Lambeth
is now alleged to have smoked the drug. He is also being accused of
engaging in explicit sexual activity. His former partner James Renolleau, a
cashier who worked at Westminster Abbey, is making the allegations, which
Mr Paddick denies. Mr Renolleau has now fled the country. In his first
interview since the furore over remarks about anarchism made in an internet
chatroom, Mr Paddick said he just wanted to be "left alone" to get on with
his job.

Mr Paddick said he was being accused of having sex on the Gatwick Express;
of having oral sex and masturbation in a gay sauna; of smoking cannabis
with his partner in their flat; and of failing to tell his bosses he had
met his lover when Mr Renolleau was on bail.

The commander, who has a new partner, said: "We were in what I thought was
a caring and honest relationship for five years and I am absolutely
devastated he should say such things about me. I had hoped we would become
friends. But I have given up that hope now."

Mr Paddick said he first became aware of the allegations last week when Mr
Renolleau telephoned him to say he had sold his story for UKP100,000. Mr
Renolleau telephoned him again yesterday from abroad to confirm he had been
paid "a large sum of money".

These are not the first smears made against Mr Paddick. He has been
subjected to a series of false allegations and rumours, believed in part to
be motivated by a combination of homophobia and professional jealousy.

He was on holiday in Australia when the chatroom remarks were made public
and last week arrived back in his post to receive a "dressing down" from
the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir John Stevens. Mr Paddick kept his
job, not least because he had not committed any disciplinary offences. He
has told Sir John of the latest allegations and must wait to see whether he
can still survive.

Mr Paddick said last night: "My ex-partner has been paid, he claims,
UKP100,000. He has now left the country. He has provided The Mail on Sunday
with a signed statement saying he had cannabis at the flat and we smoked
cannabis on numerous occasions; that I had gone to gay saunas and engaged
in oral sex and masturbation and once had sex on the Gatwick Express. Also
that I met him when he was on bail to the police and I should have reported
that to my senior officers. I completely deny the allegations about the
sex. I never went to a gay sauna; I never had sex with somebody in the open
air. As far as the smoking of cannabis, he smoked cannabis sometimes in the
flat and I told him it would get me into trouble and he should not do it.
But he did do it from time to time."

The pair were together for five years but the relationship ended
acrimoniously about a year ago. Mr Renolleau first started smoking cannabis
about two years into the relationship. The allegations of illicit sex, said
Mr Paddick, date back more than six years, before the pair were going out
and Mr Renolleau's account was, at best, second hand. "Even if I had done,
I certainly never did when I was with him," said Mr Paddick, "He certainly
cannot prove it. The sex [allegations] were supposed to be before I was in
a relationship with him so that must be six or more years ago."

He refused to discuss the accusation that he knew Mr Renolleau was on
police bail but failed to inform his superiors. Mr Paddick added: "The
Commissioner was aware a week ago of these allegations.

"I just want to get on with my job which I think I am doing very well and
the results we are achieving in Lambeth prove to me I am doing a good job.

"I just want to be left alone to get on with my job."

SIDEBAR: Brian Paddick: A Life

Born: Balham, south London, 1959.

Education: Grammar schools in Tooting, south London, and Sutton, Surrey.
Queen's College, Oxford.

Marriage: to Mary Stone for five years, between the ages of 24 and 29.
Ended childless.

Career: Joined Met as a police constable in Holloway; sergeant at 22; chief
superintendent in charge of borough of Merton at 40.

December 2000: promoted to commander in charge of Lambeth.

July 2001: introduced softly-softly approach to cannabis possession.