Phone hacking victims reject News of the World apology
The apology printed by the News of the World in yesterday’s edition in relation to its phone hacking activities, has been rejected by its high profile victims.
A piece entitled ‘Voicemail Interception: An Apology’ was carried on page two of yesterday’s edition in which it stated that it ‘publicly and unreservedly’ apologised.
"What happened to them should not have happened. It was and remains unacceptable,” it added.
A fund has been set up to settle claims from some who were targeted including actress Sienna Miller, whose lawyer said that she has not accepted any settlement offer and described the phone hacking as "an outrageous violation of her privacy".
Former MP George Galloway has also rejected the apology, describing its as "a cynical attempt to protect the company's chief executive [Rebekah Brooks]".
According to The Telegraph this morning, following the initial apology made on Friday, many more claims were made to News International, with lawyer Charlotte Harris, a partner at Mishcon de Reya telling BBC Radio 4 that up to 7,000 people could have been targeted.
It has been estimated that the practice could cost News International around £40 million.
Meanwhile reports made yesterday claimed that News International owner Rupert Murdoch attempted to use his political influence through a third party to persuade former Prime Minister Gordon Brown to cool any potential investigation into the phone hacking at the paper while he was still in office.