'Illegal' newspaper payments
An exclusive investigation by ITV News has discovered the true scale of payments made by many of Britain’s best selling newspapers for potentially illegal personal information.
An exclusive investigation by ITV News has discovered the true scale of payments made by many of Britain’s best selling newspapers for potentially illegal personal information.
ITV News has calculated that the Daily Mail paid Steve Whittamore £143,159 for potentially illegal information and made 1,728 requests.
According to what we've seen in the books the next biggest spenders were the Daily Mirror who spent more than £92,000 on potentially illegal information and made 984 requests.
Close behind the Mirror is their stable-mate the People, spending more than £76 000, requesting 1,016 potentially illegal searches.
A full break-down of what each national newspaper paid Whittamore for data can be found here.
Our UK Bureau News Editor on how we worked out the amounts paid by newspapers for potentially illegal investigations
Singer Charlotte Church told ITV News the information held on her by some newspapers was "all encompassing of everybody I'd ever known".
A detailed look at what each newspaper paid private investigator Steve Whittamore for data about celebrities, politicians and the public.