The deputy assistant commissioner who has been head of the News of the World hacking investigation since January has a reputation as one of the Met’s toughest operators.
Sue Akers, said to be the model for Jane Tennison, Helen Mirren’s character in Prime Suspect, is a no-nonsense cop of the old school.
She is a reluctant mover up the ranks and prefers to be on a case rather than behind a desk. She has been entrusted with some of Scotland Yard’s trickiest cases and is in charge of the inquiry into allegations of MI5 and MI6 complicity in torture.
Ms Akers is based in the Specialist Crime Directorate, and her key responsibilities are serious and organised crime, black community gun crime (Trident) and specialist crime prevention. She has served in the Met 32 years and formerly led the anti-corruption squad.