Hacking at paper 'not widespread'

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The practice of hacking into the mobile phones of public figures was not widespread at the News of the World, a former executive at the paper has said.

Les Hinton admitted payments were made to a journalist and a private detective after they were convicted in 2007.

But he told MPs on the Culture Committee he had been following legal advice over "employment issues" and had not been trying to "gag" them.

The paper denies other hacking efforts involving celebrities took place.

Former News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glen Mulcaire who helped him, were jailed in 2007 for hacking into the phone messages of royal staff.

The Guardian newspaper later claimed that further News of the World journalists were involved in hacking into the phones of several thousand celebrities, sports stars and politicians.

But Mr Hinton, the former executive chairman of News International, who now heads the Dow Jones group also owned by newspaper proprietor Rupert Murdoch, dismissed the claim.

He said that after News of the World editor Andy Coulson resigned in the wake of the convictions, an internal investigation went through thousands of e-mails.

"There was never any evidence delivered to me that suggested the conduct of Clive Goodman spread beyond him," Mr Hinton said.

MPs were told the payments to Mr Goodman and Mr Mulcaire followed an unfair dismissal claim brought by the journalist.

"The legal department at News International and the human resources department at News International gave the advice that these people were entitled to a settlement, which I authorised," Mr Hinton said.