Piers Morgan’s Daily Mirror and The People accused of phone hacking

Piers Morgan was the editor of the Daily Mirror between 1995 and 2004 Credit: Arrow Press/EMPICS Entertainment

Four people are taking action against the publishers of the Daily Mirror over alleged phone hacking, it has emerged.

Media lawyer Mark Lewis said he was acting for all four claimants - former England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati, Abbie Gibson, a former nanny for the Beckham family, and Garry Flitcroft, the former captain of Blackburn Rovers football team.

The allegations related to newspapers in the Mirror Group Newspapers stable - the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and The People, he said.

Mr Lewis told ITV1's Daybreak the hacking allegations appeared to take the Mirror Group "by surprise".

Former Blackburn Rovers captain Garry Flitcroft Credit: Sean Dempsey/PA Wire

The claims allege breach of confidence and misuse of private information relating to the interception and/or misuse of mobile phone voicemail messages and/or the interception of telephone accounts.

Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati Credit: Ian West/PA Wire

It is thought to be the first time that actions over alleged phone hacking have been launched against newspapers outside Rupert Murdoch's News International.

The Beckhams former nanny Abbie Gibson - pictured here alongside Victoria Beckham - is also taking action Credit: Reuters

The filed claims allege phone hacking took place at the Daily Mirror when Piers Morgan was editor at the Daily Mirror from 1995 to 2004.

Parent company Trinity Mirror, which saw around £17 million wiped from its market value after the allegations emerged, said:

It added: "As we have previously stated, all our journalists work within the criminal law and the Press Complaints Commission Code of Conduct."

Mr Morgan’s spokesman referred the newspaper to Trinity Mirror for comment.