Green search 'had Liberty link'

Damian Green has had the case against him dismissed

The Tory MP who was arrested over Home Office leaks claims police told him they searched his e-mails for messages from a leading civil rights campaigner.

Damian Green told the Times it felt like a "fishing expedition" on Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti, who is a regular critic of the government.

There is no suggestion she was in any way involved in the leaks, over which Mr Green is not now facing any charges.

She said the revelation raised "very serious questions" about the operation.

Mr Green told the Times that the Liberty director's name was used as a keyword by officers going through his e-mails and computer when his Parliamentary office was searched in November.

Mr Green was arrested and held by the Metropolitan Police for nine hours on suspicion of "conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office, and aiding and abetting, counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office".

The Director of Public Prosecutions has now dismissed the case against Mr Green and Christopher Galley, the Home Office civil servant behind the leaks.

Shami Chakrabarti says she is concerned at Mr Green's claims

Mr Green, the Conservative immigration spokesman, said: "This feels to me like a fishing expedition on somebody who embarrasses the government of the day. That's very disturbing."

He also told the BBC: "To have the police searching for contacts between opposition politicians and civil liberties campaigners isn't something anyone should feel comfortable with."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We are not discussing it."

Ms Chakrabarti said she was concerned at the claims.

She said: "I think this raises very serious questions about just how politicised, even McCarthyite, this operation was."