Fairfax Media’s head of video, Ricky Sutton, has been questioned by his bosses about his time in senior positions at the News of the World in London.

He has assured Fairfax Media management that he had no knowledge of telephone hacking or other illegal practices during his time, which included stints as an undercover reporter and as news editor.

He has also told them that he has not been contacted by either Australian or United Kingdom police about the affair.

Advertising industry news site mUmBRELLA named Sutton following Crikey‘s story yesterday reporting that a Fairfax Media executive was likely to be questioned as part of the News of the World police investigation.

Sutton has still not responded to Crikey’s emails and telephone messages, and Fairfax management is declining to make any official comment, although reporter Karen Kissane’s story this morning contained, well down in the copy, a paragraph reporting Sutton’s role at News of the World, and that he had not been contacted by authorities.

So who is Ricky Sutton? His own view of his career highlights is conveniently laid out on his Linked In profile where he has this to say about his time at News of the World:

“Over eight years, I held several roles at Britain’s best-selling newspaper culminating in being news editor with 70 reporters around the world. The News of the World is famous for breaking the big stories. It is read by half the British population and during my stint, it was named UK newspaper of the year. Among our scoops were Jeffrey Archer’s perjury which led to him being jailed, Gary Glitter’s p-edophilia (and him being jailed too) and David Beckham’s multiple affairs. I was variously a war correspondent, an undercover reporter and was the only reporter ever invited to spend an entire week with Tony Blair and his family.  In 2000, I was seconded from my reporting duties to launch the paper’s website www.newsoftheworld.co.uk which is now one of the UK’s largest sites with nine million readers.”

The report of his appointment as news editor at News of the World in April 2003 is here. He said at the time:

“I can’t wait to get started working with a top team of reporters who have made this department what it is. It promises to be exciting.”

But he quit in November 2003 to come to Australia. The Guardian reported this as part of a shake-up in which then editor, the now disgraced Andy Coulson, made several executive appointments. Sutton was reported to be moving Down Under because of his passion for surfing. Sutton was replaced by as news editor by James Weatherup, now at the heart of the phone-hacking scandal  having been arrested in April.

Those who have worked with Sutton since his arrival in Australia in 2004 are already well aware of his pride in his time at the News of the World. Sutton is described by former colleagues as confident, a “noticeable character”, “loud” and even “abrasive”.

One former colleague remembers him talking about hiring helicopters to get to the scene of a story, and that he boasted about decking the News of the World newsroom out in “sand and camouflage” to create an appropriate “atmosphere” for reporting of the Iraq war.

While it is safe to say that he has not won any popularity contests, either at News Limited, where he started his Australian career, nor at Ninemsn, some of his former colleagues say they are fond of him, although few have kept in touch.

“He has no malice,” said one former colleague. “He is a very energetic bloke who makes his presence felt in the office.”

He is, colleagues say, “very charming, particularly when he is trying to sell something.”

The most consistent thing said of Sutton by former colleagues is that he talks himself up — including his role in stories at News of the World. “He gave the impression of being prepared to do what it took to get the job done.” Having worked on a “red top” newspaper was one of the things that distinguished him at News Limited, former colleagues said.

He is remembered for proclaiming that the News of the World was one of the best papers on the planet, that it had admirable news sense and aggression.

Sutton’s first job in Australia was at The Daily Telegraph, where he was managing editor of the online Daily and Sunday Telegraphs, launching the website and, according to his Linked In profile, managing 400 editorial and sales staff. In 2006, for six months, he was assistant editor (news).

Some of his efforts for the Tele’s Your Say blog can be read here and there is also this 2006 effort about the horrors of women wearing trainers on their way to work.

“I have a pet hate. It’s women who commute to work wearing trainers with their work clothes. It looks awful. And I know; yeah yeah, there are a million reasons why they do it; sore feet, long commutes etc, but it’s just plain wrong and indefensible. Guys have to wear ties and they play havoc with your razor rash. So, ladies of Sydney, can you have a go at following the lead of Jennifer Aniston and looking the part. Don’t let yourselves go. Jeez. PS: Guys, what do you think? Tell me the worst cases you have had to witness.”

After three years with the Tele, Sutton left.

Some remember that his departure came after attempting to “sell” an idea for a new web-based product to News Limited CEO John Hartigan. Apparently the meeting did not go well, and Sutton left soon after. He moved to Ninemsn as head of entertainment and video, where he was responsible for the launch of The Fix entertainment and celebrity site.

He left after nine months, and spent periods working for his own “bespoke consultancy” Epiphany Media, and for the Financial Arena, where he launched a financial newsletter, Under the Southern Cross — an idiosyncratic publication by Charlie Aitken, which was profiled here and now seems to have transformed into Ringing the Bell.

Fairfax Media apparently sought Sutton out at Epiphany, and he was appointed to the new position of head of video at Fairfax in December 2009.

At Fairfax, Sutton is associated with the forays into video content, including deals with Channel Ten for online news and the ABC’s back catalogue. He is also associated with the video autoplay ads — the ones that start up whether or not you click on them — that have caused controversy within the industry.

One former colleague said of Sutton: “The pattern of his career in this country has been that he comes in, kicks up the dust, makes an impression, and then leaves in a blaze.”