Phone hacking investigations closed by police

The decision to end the long-running inquiry into phone hacking could be challenged, a lawyer representing some of the victims has said.

Gerald Shamash, who represented former footballer Paul Gascoigne who was awarded £188,250 in relation to action against Mirror Group Newspapers, said it would be "right and proper" to review the decision.

Speaking to The Guardian he said: "Subject to client's instructions, we would want to have a review of the decision-making process.

"It's available, it's [a] quite right and proper process to go through and we would want it reviewed. No doubt a number of the other [law] firms would want to join on this."

It began with the discovery that thousands of people had been victims of tabloid journalists accessing their mobile phones in pursuit of stories.

Operation Weeting, the investigation into phone hacking at the former News of the World headquarters, cost Scotland Yard £23 million.

Now the Crown Prosecution has ended the investigation, charges of Corporate Liability against Rupert Murdoch's media empire and former journalists at The Mirror will not be brought.

ITV News Correspondent Paul Davies reports:

Former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan, who was interviewed under caution twice during the long-running phone hacking investigations, has welcomed an end to the probes.

"I've today been informed by CPS that no further action will be taken against me re Met Police phone hacking investigation," he wrote on Twitter.

"As I've said since the investigation began four years ago, I've never hacked a phone and nor have I ever told anybody to hack a phone."

No further action is to be taken in the phone hacking operations, Weeting and Golding, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced.

It says there is "insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of a conviction".

Ms Saunders added that over the past three years, 12 prosecutions have been brought and which resulted in nine convictions.

Operation Weeting and Operation Golding looked into alleged allegations of phone hacking and other wrongdoing by journalists and staff at News Group and Mirror Group newspapers.