Possible victims of NoW phone-hacking scandal soars to almost 6000, says Metropolitan Police

The newspaper points out: “This is 2000 more than previously identified by detectives tasked with trawling through 11,000 pages of notes seized from Mulcaire's home.

“It will reinforce claims, by solicitors acting for victims, and by MPs investigating phone hacking for a parliamentary select committee, that hacking was conducted on an ‘industrial scale’ at the News of the World.”

A spokesman for Scotland Yard is quoted as saying: "It is not possible to give a precise figure about the number of people whose phones have actually been hacked but we can confirm that as of ...3 November 2011, the current number of potentially identifiable persons who appear in the material, and who may therefore be victims, where names are noted, is 5795.

“This figure is very likely to be revised in the future as a result of further analysis."

The Guardian's original story in 2009 suggested that between 2000 and 3000 individuals may have been victims of phone hacking. This was dismissed at the time.

Met Assistant commissioner, John Yates, said, after he reviewed the first inquiry, that there were "hundreds, not thousands" of potential victims.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said the number referred to the list of full identifiable first and second names in Mulcaire's notes but it may not be the final figure.

He added: "The figure of 3870 first and second names given by DAC Akers at the home affairs committee in July 2011 referred to material recovered from Glen Mulcaire that had been put on a searchable database."

He said Operating Weeting continues to analyse relevant material.

The Guardian added; “It is known that Mulcaire kept meticulous notes of his activities, with names of victims and of those whose messages he may have intercepted.”