Allegations of phone tapping at Britain's best-selling Sunday newspaper have been dismissed by the industry's watchdog.
The
Guardiansparked a political storm after claiming News Group Newspapers, which publishes titles including the
News of the World, paid out more than £1 million to settle cases threatening to reveal evidence of telephone hacking.
But, after reviewing evidence, the Press Complaints Commission said there were no signs of tapping by journalists at the Sunday paper.
"Despite the manner in which the
Guardian'sallegations were treated in some quarters - as if they related to current or recent activity - there is no evidence that the practice of phone message tapping is ongoing," its report said. "The commission is satisfied that - so far as it is possible to tell - its work aimed at improving the integrity of undercover journalism has played its part in raising standards in this area."
Clive Goodman, the Sunday paper's former royal editor, and investigator Glenn Mulcaire were sent to prison in 2007 for plotting to access royal aides' voicemails, prompting Goodman to be sacked.
The watchdog's latest inquiry focused on whether it was misled by the
News of the Worldduring its investigation into the original scandal and whether there was any evidence that phone message hacking had been ongoing since 2007.
The PCC said the
Guardianwas "performing a perfectly legitimate function in further scrutinising activity at the paper, and it had produced one new significant fact in its revelation that the
News of the Worldhad privately settled a legal action brought by Gordon Taylor for a large amount of money."
But the report added: "The PCC has seen no new evidence to suggest that the practice of phone message tapping was undertaken by others beyond Goodman and Mulcaire, or evidence that
News of the Worldexecutives knew about Goodman and Mulcaire's activities."
There was also "nothing to suggest that the PCC was materially misled during its 2007 inquiry".
A host of inquiries were launched after the
Guardianclaimed MPs from all three parties, including former deputy prime minister John Prescott and Cabinet minister Tessa Jowell were among the targets of alleged phone taps.
The News of the Worldsaid it would not be commenting on the PCC's findings.
PA