Police are reviewing CCTV related to the theft of Morgan McSweeney’s phone following concerns that vital messages between the former top aide and Peter Mandelson could now be lost.
Sir Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff told the Metropolitan Police that his device had been snatched in central London last October, but the force later admitted the wrong address had been recorded.
After saying the case will be reopened to assess if there is further evidence, the Met Police is now said to be reviewing CCTV from where the theft took place in Pimlico in order to establish the facts of the case.
Mr McSweeney could now also be asked for further clarification as part of the police’s review, The Times reported.
The loss of the phone raised concerns that messages between him and Lord Mandelson could now be lost, as communications between ministers and the former peer are due to be published in an effort to shed light on his appointment as US ambassador despite his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr McSweeney, who is said to have pushed for the former Labour peer to be handed the job in Washington, resigned as Sir Keir’s chief of staff in February over his role in the decision.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch is among the opposition politicians who have sought to suggest the phone theft is “fishy”.
But Sir Keir said it is “far-fetched” to say there was any link between the Mandelson files and the phone theft, which took place in October, months before the Commons vote that triggered the collection and release of the documents.
Police took the unusual step of releasing a transcript of Mr McSweeney’s 999 call reporting the phone theft.
The Met wrongly recorded the theft as having taken place in east London, rather than Westminster, after Mr McSweeney wrongly gave his location as Belgrave Street rather than Belgrave Road during the 20 October call.
Meanwhile, Lord Mandelson will be asked to supply messages from his personal phone as part of the disclosure of files related to his appointment as US ambassador.
The Cabinet Office is working on an information-gathering plan and will ask the ex-Labour grandee to provide everything he holds in scope of the humble address used to compel the release of correspondence, according to government sources.
Messages between ministers and Lord Mandelson are set to be published as part of the second tranche of the so-called Mandelson files, after MPs moved in February to force the release.
The first tranche of documents related to the peer’s appointment, published earlier this month, showed the prime minister handed Lord Mandelson the ambassadorial role despite being advised that his relationship with Epstein posed a “general reputational risk”.
Lord Mandelson was arrested on 23 February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, having been accused of passing sensitive information to Epstein during his time as business secretary.
Sir Keir has repeatedly said that he is sorry for believing Lord Mandelson’s “lies” over his connection to the sex offender and for appointing him to the high-profile role in Washington.
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