SCOTLAND Yard's incoming boss has called in Durham Police's chief constable to review the inquiry into phone hacking at the News of the World.

Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe considered it best practice to ask Jon Stoddart to look at the Met's Operation Weeting due to the sensitive nature of the case, police said.

The revelation comes after Britain's top police officer said press and police relationships had gone too far as he called for an era of transparency and austerity.