Clegg urges quick probe on hacking (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Clegg urges quick probe on hacking

10:46am Thursday 9th September 2010 in

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Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has urged the police to probe new phone-hacking allegations swirling around No 10 communications chief Andy Coulson "as quickly and thoroughly as possible".

He spoke out as MPs prepared to debate whether the row should be referred to the Commons' powerful Standards and Privileges Committee.

Mr Clegg said people are entitled to "ask questions and make inquiries" while conflicting claims are made on whether Mr Coulson knew of phone-hacking when he was editor of the News of the World, something he has vehemently denied.

"If there are claims and counter-claims everyone is entitled to both ask questions and make inquiries," Mr Clegg told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"I believe that the most important thing of all is that the police now, since new allegations have been made, should look now as quickly and thoroughly as possible at these new allegations."

The emergency debate in the Commons comes amid fresh allegations by a former senior reporter on the Sunday tabloid that journalists routinely used private investigators to hack phones and access confidential records when Mr Coulson was editor.

Speaking to The Guardian, Paul McMullan, a former features executive and member of the NoW's investigations team, questioned Mr Coulson's assertion that he was not aware of hacking by staff.

The Guardian said Mr McMullan was one of six former reporters to back up claims that obtaining information by potentially illegal means was rife on the paper during Mr Coulson's tenure from 2003-07 - something the News of the World denies.

He and the other former reporters said that private investigators were used routinely to gather information, and that reporters had to go through desk editors to commission their services.

Mr McMullan told The Guardian he personally commissioned private investigators to commit several hundred acts which could be regarded as unlawful.