Phone hacking investigation 'will not hamper civil actions'

CIVIL ACTIONS against the News of the Worldby a number of celebrities, who allege that the tabloid hacked into their voicemail messages, will not be delayed by the criminal investigation that has seen three journalists on the newspaper arrested, a High Court judge has ruled in London.

The declaration by Mr Justice Vos came as the Metropolitan Police finally admitted that the number of people targeted could run into hundreds, rather than the “10 or 12” it has said up to now were affected.

Saying that he wants four test cases by the end of the year, or early 2012, Mr Justice Vos said he was “extremely unattracted to the idea of putting” them back after criminal trials that have so far “not yet even resulted in charges”.

Last week, the newspapers parent company, News International, apologised to all those whose messages were intercepted by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, who was jailed in 2007 along with the tabloid’s royal correspondent, Clive Goodman.

So far, 24 well-known people, including actress Sienna Miller, are suing News International, but the number could swell to 6,000, one law firm claims, following the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper group’s decision to set up an out-of-court compensation scheme for victims.

Miller has already been offered £100,000 to settle her action, plus costs, which she has 21 days to accept, or reject.

So far, she has not given any indication about her final decision. Her ex-boyfriend Jude Law also believes that his messages were intercepted.

During yesterday’s hearing, lawyers for the Metropolitan Police said the number of people intercepted is “substantially higher” than the 91 for whom pin numbers were found when police raided Mulcaire’s home in 2006.

In the first inquiry, detectives said they had only identified up to 12 victims, claiming they had been told by the Crown Prosecution Service that illegal interception had not occurred unless journalists had heard a voicemail message before the celebrity had done so.

Meanwhile, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport Jeremy Hunt has been urged to postpone a final decision on Mr Murdoch’s complete takeover of BSkyB until the full truth of the phone hacking allegations are known.

Sam Barratt of campaigning group Avaaz said Mr Hunt had told them, when they called to his constituency office, that he is following “the law absolutely as I should” because “there are plenty of lawyers on all sides of the case who’ll sue the pants off me if I don’t”.