News of the World apologises to hacking victims

The News of the World has publicly apologised to victims of the newspaper's phone-hacking controversy, saying that the invasions of privacy "should not have happened".

In a statement printed in today's newspaper, the paper said it wanted to "unreservedly apologise" to celebrities whose telephone messages were intercepted.

Under the heading "Voicemail interception: An apology" on page two of the newspaper, it said "a number of individuals" had brought breach of privacy claims against it and that yet more were planning to do so.

"Evidence has recently come to light which supports some of these claims," the News of the World said.

"We have written to relevant individuals to admit liability in these civil cases and to apologise unreservedly, and will do the same to any other individuals where evidence shows their claims to be justifiable.

"We hope to be able to pay appropriate compensation to all these individuals, and have asked our lawyers to set up a compensation scheme to deal with genuine claims fairly and efficiently.

"Here today, we publicly and unreservedly apologise to all such individuals.

"What happened to them should not have happened. It was and remains unacceptable."

The apology was accompanied by a News International statement, in which it said "past behaviour" at the newspaper was "a matter of genuine regret".

It comes as one of the victims, actress Sienna Miller, vowed to do everything possible to hold to account those responsible for the "outrageous violations of her privacy".

The star's solicitor Mark Thomson released a statement on her behalf which read: "Sienna's claims are based on outrageous violations of her privacy; her voice mails were persistently hacked and the information obtained was used to publish numerous intrusive articles over a period of a year.

"She is awaiting information and disclosure from the News of the World which has been ordered by the court and will consider her next steps once this is provided.

"Her primary concern is to discover the whole truth and for all those responsible to be held to account."

Mr Thomson said Miller had not accepted any offer of settlement and the News of World had not submitted to judgment in her claim and the action was continuing.

It is understood that along with Miller, the company has issued apologies to former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, her estranged husband lawyer David Mills and footballer turned broadcaster Andy Gray.

Football agent Sky Andrew, publicist Nicola Phillips and Joan Hammell, a former special adviser to Lord Prescott, are also believed to have received apologies through their solicitors.

News International said the move applied to allegations of voicemail hacking at the News of the World from 2004 to 2006.

Designer Kelly Hoppen is also understood to have been issued with an apology, although only for that time period, and not for a later claim.

No one else is understood to have received an apology - other notable figures who have pursued the matter through the courts, including Leslie Ash and Lord Prescott, are not thought to be covered by the admissions.

Condemnation of the paper's actions has gathered pace with former MP George Galloway, who said he had been shown proof that his phone had been hacked, claiming the News of the World apology was a "cynical attempt to protect the company's chief executive Rebekah Wade".

And Labour leader Ed Miliband demanded to know who knew about the "criminal behaviour", and when.

He said: "What we have seen is a serious admission of wrongdoing by News International.

"We have now got to get to the bottom of any criminal behaviour, which is a matter for the police and should be thoroughly investigated.

"We need to know who knew about these actions and when.

"We also need to know how far across the organisation knowledge of these actions went."

The controversy has been a source of continuing embarrassment for News International at a time when its parent group, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, has been seeking to take full control of BSkyB.

Earlier this week detectives investigating the allegations arrested the paper's chief reporter and its former head of news.

Neville Thurlbeck, 50, and Ian Edmondson, 42, were held by Scotland Yard detectives on Tuesday when they voluntarily attended separate police stations in south-west London.

The paper's former editor Andy Coulson resigned as Prime Minister David Cameron's director of communications in January as he said that the continuing row about the affair was making his job impossible.

Days later the Met launched a fresh investigation, codenamed Operation Weeting, after receiving "significant new information" from News International.

Independent