PADDICK: 'SEX AND DRUG TALK IS ALL LIES'

Kiss-And-Tell Threat To Met's Paddick

Britain's most senior openly gay police officer was fighting to save his
career last night following lurid kiss-and-tell allegations by a former
partner.

Metropolitan Police commander Brian Paddick, whose future had been put in
doubt over comments about anarchism on a radical website, told The
Independent on Sunday yesterday of gross and false accusations being made
by his spurned ex-lover.

Mr Paddick, who pioneered the softly, softly approach to cannabis in the
London borough of Lambeth, is now alleged to have smoked the drug. He is
also being accused of engaging in explicit sexual activity. The
allegations, which he vehemently denies, are by his former partner James
Renolleau, a cashier who worked at Westminster Abbey. Mr Renolleau has now
fled the country.

In his first interview since the "anarchy" furore, Mr Paddick said he just
wanted to be "left alone" to get on with his job. That is even more
unlikely to happen now.

He told the IoS 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 then partner in their flat; and of failing to tell his police
bosses he had first met his lover when Mr Renolleau was on police 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.

"He wasn't happy about us splitting up but I had hoped we would become
friends. "

Mr Paddick said he first became aware of the allegations last week when Mr
Renolleau telephoned him to say he had sold his story to a newspaper for
UKP100,000.

Mr Renolleau telephoned him again yesterday from abroad to confirm he had
been paid "a large sum of money". Newspapers have been trying to dig up
dirt ever since comments on an internet chatroom at www.urban75.com were
made public.

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

He has informed his boss, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John
Stevens, of the allegations and must sit tight to see whether he can
survive the ensuing storm.

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 argued with him and 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. The allegations of illicit sex, said Mr
Paddick, date back more than six years ago before the pair were going out
and therefore his account was, at best, secondhand, and Mr Renolleau had no
proof at all they took place.

Mr Paddick added: "The Commissioner was aware a week ago of these allegations.

"The results we are achieving in Lambeth prove to me I am doing a good
job," he said. "I just want to be left alone to get on with my job."