Jude Law told 'relative sold stories to newspapers'

Actor Jude Law discovered for the first time today that a relative had allegedly been paid by a newspaper for information about an affair between his former girlfriend Sienna Miller and Daniel Craig to the News of the World.

A folded note was handed to Mr Law today - with the name of family member written on it - as he gave evidence at the hacking trial. The name was not read out in court.

The Alfie actor told the court:

ITV News Correspondent Juliet Bremner reports:

Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC asked him at the Old Bailey: "When was the first time that you heard the suggestion that a member of your family had passed information to the News of the World for money?"

Law replied: "Today."

He told the court he first became aware of rumours of the affair around the time the couple went to Ms Miller's sister Savannah's wedding in the West Country and Law was shown NotW articles headlined "Sienna Cheats On Jude" and "Layer Fake".

The jury heard that he had telephoned Craig to confront him about the affair and suggested he should tell his own girlfriend, Satsuki Mitchell, about it.

Mr Law also told the hacking trial that he had never heard the name of Glenn Mulcaire - the private investigator who has admitted hacking phones - before the police showed him evidence relating to the allegations.

But he said: "Sadly it didn't surprise me...because they were able to follow me not just in this country but abroad as well."

Former government spin doctor Andy Coulson, who was editor of the News of the World (NotW)from 2003 to 2007, is accused of conspiring to hack phones between October 3 2000 and August 9 2006, along with ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, 45, and former NotW managing editor Stuart Kuttner, 73.

He also told the jury that from around 2001 photographers would gather at his home.

"Around 2001 and over the following four or five years the daily appearance of packs of photographers either on the street or in cars became a very regular occurrence."

He added: "I became aware that I was also turning up at places having arranged to go there secretly ... and the media were already there, or photographers were already there."

The press interest even followed him to the United States, where he worked filming Cold Mountain and Alfie in 2003, the court heard.

The actor, who is currently appearing in a production of Henry V, gave evidence for just over an hour.