Mirror and Sun named in hack inquiry
THE DAILY Mirror and The Sun are at risk of being dragged into the phone hacking scandal that led to the closure of the News of the World, according to an independent inquiry into press standards.
The Leveson inquiry has discovered a name relating to the Daily Mirror in a notebook used by the shamed private investigator at the heart of the affair, as well as references to The Sun. Both papers deny any wrongdoing.
It has also discovered at least 28 News of the World employees listed in Glenn Mulcaire’s notebooks, the majority of whom were listed under code names. One person, referred to as “A”, had requested information from the convicted fraudster 1,453 times.
Altogether the inquiry has examined some 11,000 pages of Mulcaire’s notes, showing thousands of requests for information on almost 6,000 potential victims.
The revelations add further credence to the long-held suspicions of many critics that the phone hacking culture ran to the very core of the News of the World. Robert Jay QC, counsel for the inquiry, said management at the paper must either have known about the practice or allowed a serious breakdown in supervision to occur.
The inquiry, which will not be limited to phone hacking, will hear evidence from high profile figures over the coming weeks relating to a string of unlawful or unethical practices.