How did you get started in journalism?
I was pretty sure from the age of eight that I wanted to be a reporter. I began contributing to local newspapers when I was 15 and worked for the Tyrone Democrat, one of my hometown weeklies in Northern Ireland, during university summer holidays before finally starting there full-time in 1986. This was during The Troubles, so it was an incredible time to be a reporter with  duties that ranged from local council meetings to bombings and murders.

What scoops are you most proud of in your career?
The first really big story I worked on was the Loughall Ambush of May 1987 when an IRA unit was wiped out by the SAS. Working on my local paper, I traced and interviewed Oliver Hughes who was in a car with his brother and was caught in a hail of bullets as the SAS opened fire. Anthony died but Oliver lived, largely because one of the soldiers clamped a hand over the wound in his skull, sealing it until an ambulance arrived.

Before joining The Times, the story that gave me most satisfaction was that of Lotfi Raissi, who was arrested in London and wrongly accused of training the 9/11 hijackers in 2001. I was working on the Telegraph at the time and we exposed the fabrication of evidence by the FBI, supported by Scotland Yard and the CPS; the courts eventually freed Lotfi without him ever standing trial.

At The Times, the story that gave me most personal satisfaction was the exposure of Robert Waddington, Dean of Manchester Cathedral, as a serial paedophile. One of his victims plucked up the courage to tell his story. Later, when his account appeared in The Times, he said he had cried because “it was the first time anyone had believed me”.

How did you go about uncovering the recent Oxfam scandal? How long did the investigation take? How did you deal with the sources?
In total it took ten months, during which the most important element was building relationships of trust with key sources who needed assurance their identities would be protected. The story started with a tip and involved tracing people who knew about what had happened in Haiti, knew about the cover-up and believed The Times would report their accounts faithfully.

How do you plan to present a large investigative piece for maximum exposure? 
Once the research was largely complete and the process of writing under way, it was really important to get someone on the newsdesk directly involved. By this stage as a reporter you’re often too close to the detail and another pair of eyes is needed to ensure the story is told and presented as clearly as possible. It was also vital to involve the picture desk, the data team and Pia Sarma, our head lawyer. I aimed for three days coverage but the story took off.

How do you think Oxfam handled the scandal?
Really badly. They had 23 people in their press office but they all seemed to be on transmit mode and had no idea how to respond to the questions we put to them.

What are your five desk essentials?
Laptop, mobile phone, dictaphone, notebook, Times Style Guide.