A PRIVATE investigator was hired by the News of the Worldfor over eight years to put over 100 people, including Prince William, a former attorney general, MPs and sports stars, under surveillance, it was alleged last night.
The disclosure of the surveillance, though not illegal under British law, is a serious embarrassment to James Murdoch, chairman of News International which owned the tabloid, who has been called back to appear before a House of Commons inquiry tomorrow.
Speaking to the BBC's Newsnight, former policeman, Derek Webb said he was hired by the News of the Worldshortly after he set up his own private detective agency in 2003, adding that he continued working for the newspaper until it was closed this summer by News International.
Mr Webb's comments come after it emerged on Monday that Mark Lewis and Charlotte Harris – two of the lawyers representing alleged victims of News of the Worldphone hacking – had been put under surveillance in a bid to frustrate their efforts to probe the now-defunct tabloid's conduct.
“I was working for them extensively on many jobs throughout that time. I never knew when I was going to be required. They phone me up by the day or by the night. It could be anywhere in the country,” he told Newsnight.
In 2006, he said he followed Prince William during a visit to Gloucestershire. “Basically I would write down what they were wearing at the time, what car they were in, who they met, the location they met, the times – the times were very important – and I would keep that. And then I would transfer part of it into my diary, but not the actual log itself.”
The list of targets could have exceeded 150, including Prince Harry, former England footballer and now TV presenter, Gary Lineker and Labour MP, Tom Watson – one of the few MPs to pursue the News of the Worldover the hacking allegations.
Describing the disclosures as “pretty shocking”, Mr Watson last night said: “News International did use private investigators to follow me, but I have never seen the proof before. I would like to say I am shocked by it, but frankly I have seen such despicable acts by this company that I am not.
“It hits you when you actually see that they paid this guy to follow me around for the whole week and I didn’t know he was doing it and I think it is pretty shocking. I was a backbench MP unknown in the country in 2009.”
He went on: “I can only conclude that this was done to try and dig up, to try and discredit me as a member of that committee and I think that is got profound questions for our democracy. I would hope that James Murdoch gives a very good explanation of himself before he comes to the committee.” Last night, Mr Lewis said that he now intends to sue for damages, adding that he has seen evidence that other members of the culture, media and sport select committee, which is investigating News International over phone hacking – besides Mr Watson – were targeted.
Meanwhile, the Leveson inquiry – which is to probe practices in the British press – is to publish a summary of the notes kept by another private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, who was jailed for hacking voicemails on behalf of the Sunday tabloid.
However, Lord Justice Leveson has dealt a blow to the metropolitan police and the crown prosecution service by insisting that he will call witnesses to give evidence, even if they are suspects in the police investigation – which now has nearly 6,000 possible victims.
The metropolitan police and the crown prosecution service had urged that the inquiry should not jeopardise investigations, but the judge caused a surprise by ruling that this would have “the potential seriously to damage both the public perception of the inquiry and its timeliness”.