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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Police to probe phone hack claims | Police to probe phone hack claims |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| The police are to examine claims of widespread mobile phone hacking by the News of the World, following calls for an inquiry into the affair. | The police are to examine claims of widespread mobile phone hacking by the News of the World, following calls for an inquiry into the affair. |
| The Guardian says the paper's reporters paid private investigators to hack into "thousands" of phones, many owned by politicians and celebrities. | The Guardian says the paper's reporters paid private investigators to hack into "thousands" of phones, many owned by politicians and celebrities. |
| It is alleged details were suppressed by the police and the High Court. | It is alleged details were suppressed by the police and the High Court. |
| Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has ordered a senior officer to "establish the facts" of the case. | |
| Sir Paul said Assistant Commissioner John Yates would "look into that detail and I would anticipate making a statement later today perhaps." | Sir Paul said Assistant Commissioner John Yates would "look into that detail and I would anticipate making a statement later today perhaps." |
| The Guardian alleges former deputy prime minister John Prescott Prescott and "two or three thousand" other public figures were targeted by the hacking operation. | |
| Others included London Mayor Boris Johnson and former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, it said. | |
| However details about how widespread the operation was were suppressed by the police and the High Court, says the paper. | |
| ANALYSIS Nick Robinson, BBC political editor | |
| It is now clear that phone hacking at the News of the World was much more widespread than previously thought; that it targeted senior ministers not just celebrities and that, if the Guardian is correct, at least one of the paper's executives knew about it. | |
| This is leading to calls - not just from Labour politicians - for Andy Coulson to answer questions about what he knew and to questions about whether he should be at David Cameron's side. | |
| That is why I am sure that David Cameron is anything but "relaxed", as was claimed last night. | |
| Coulson has already broken rule one for any spin doctor - "Never become the story". He's good enough at his job to know that this story will soon become one about David Cameron's judgement. Read Nick's blog in full | |
| Details of the widespread hacking allegedly emerged out of a court case involving Professional Footballers' Association head, Gordon Taylor and the News of the World. Mr Taylor received £700,000 in damages and court costs last year, but on condition that details of the case were not made public. | |
| A spokesman for News Group's parent company, News International, said it would be "inappropriate" to comment on the allegations. | |
| But pressure was mounting on the company after Business Secretary Peter Mandelson called for a new police investigation. | |
| Lord Mandelson also called on Andy Coulson, who was editor of the News of the World during the period the allegations cover, to give a "full and open explanation" of his role in the affair. | Lord Mandelson also called on Andy Coulson, who was editor of the News of the World during the period the allegations cover, to give a "full and open explanation" of his role in the affair. |
| Former deputy prime minister John Prescott, whose phone calls were allegedly monitored, said "many many" questions needed to be answered about the claims. | Former deputy prime minister John Prescott, whose phone calls were allegedly monitored, said "many many" questions needed to be answered about the claims. |