Paul is a journalism educator and has been on staff at Brunel University since Sept 2009 he has also been a part time staff member at University College Falmouth, Solent University and City University.
He joined the Observer in 1978, and along with David Leigh formed the paper’s legendary investigative team that, in 1986, received the UK Press Awards “Reporter of the Year” title for revealing the M15’s political vetting of BBC Staff.
In 1989 he began work as a reporter for Granada TV’s late lamented ‘World in Action’ programme. During his three years there he made 12 programmes, including ‘The Firm’, an investigation into the Queen’s secret tax concessions that ignited the debate over the Monarch’s financial status.
He is now a recognised authority on the subjects of terrorism, intelligence, organised crime, business fraud and the Cold War, and has written extensively for the Independent on Sunday on the intelligence side of the ‘war on terror’.