UK transport secretary resigns over police report controversy

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - British Transport Secretary Louise Haigh on Friday resigned following revelations that she incorrectly reported a work mobile phone as stolen in 2013.

In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Haigh described the incident as a "mistake" and said that continuing in her role could become a "distraction" from the government’s priorities.

Haigh, who was 24 at the time, initially reported her phone as stolen after being "mugged on a night out" in London.

However, she later discovered the device was still in her home.

In her resignation letter, Haigh recounted the fear she experienced as a young woman in the immediate aftermath of the mugging and acknowledged her error in failing to promptly update the authorities and her employer.

In response, Starmer thanked Haigh for "all you have done to deliver this government's ambitious transport agenda" and said: "I know you still have a huge contribution to make in the future."