Murdoch is the ultimate “I didn’t do it” person. We heard a lot of that during the Bush years including 9/11 and the Wall Street collapse. Somehow responsibility for events is always someone else. What cowards.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme, Orde said “You saw the chief officer of the police service of this country, Sir Paul Stephenson, saying, ‘Look this happened on my watch. I am responsible. I am therefore … It’s on my watch. I am resigning.’ Compare that to Rupert Murdoch – complete denial of any responsibility of his organisation.”

Writing in Jane’s Police Review at the weekend, Orde said: “What we have seen over the last few days is police officers standing up, explaining their actions and decisions and being held to account for them. Across the country, in serving our communities, police officers expect to have to do no less.

“It is a stark contrast to the way in which others have sought to meet their responsibilities.”