Press Regulation News

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said a press regulation plan devised with Labour leader Ed Miliband would "deliver what Leveson wanted", as he invited Tory MPs to back it.

"I hope the approach we are publishing today plots a middle course between the dangers of doing nothing and the fears some people have of a full-scale legislative approach," he said.

"This is a system that both myself and Ed Miliband back, and that I believe Conservative MPs can also support."

Clegg called the Charter a "strengthened version" of David Cameron's plan for press regulation, which the Prime Minister championed yesterday after halting cross-party talks on the issue.

MPs will choose between the two approaches in a series of votes on Monday.

• Politics
• leveson
• Nick Clegg

The Labour party and the Liberal Democrats have published a Royal Charter on self regulation of the press, with Ed Miliband calling it a charter with "real teeth".

In a statement, Miliband said:

[The Royal Charter] differs from the proposal set out by the Prime Minister in three crucial respects.

“First, this must be an enduring settlement. That means underpinning the charter with the minimum amount of legislation needed to guarantee its success and independence over time.

Second, the regulator should be properly independent of the press, so we would remove the industry’s power of veto over appointments.

Finally, when wrong is done, the regulator should be able to investigate, as well as ensure a proper and prominent apology is made.

• UK
• Press Regulation

Lucy Panton, who is married to a Scotland Yard detective, was arrested in December on suspicion of making corrupt payments to police officers. The former News of the World crime editor was later bailed and has not been charged.

• UK
• Leveson
• Press Regulation

Lucy Panton was told by a news editor to "call in all those bottles of champagne" to get inside information about a terrorist plot from Mr Yates in October 2010, the press standards inquiry has heard.

But the former News of the World crime editor said this was just "banter" from one of her bosses, insisting: "There were no bottles of champagne."

She said: "I think he was putting pressure on me to get a story.

"I would call that banter. It's a way that people spoke to each other in our office."

She added: "I think they hoped that we would be able to ring these people up and bring in exclusives every week.

"The reality is they know that doesn't happen, unfortunately, otherwise we would have had bigger and better crime stories than we did.

"My recollection of this is that I did phone Mr Yates, and I don't believe I actually got to speak to him. That was the reality, week in, week out."

• UK
• Leveson Inquiry
• Lucy Panton

Former Scotland Yard counter-terrorism chief John Yates attended the wedding of the News of the World's ex-crime editor, the Leveson Inquiry has heard.

Journalist Lucy Panton said Mr Yates was just one of "many" police officers of all ranks who were guests when she married a Scotland Yard detective.

She told the inquiry: "There were a few people at my wedding who I would class as working friends, who I didn't socialise with outside of work.

"Mr Yates falls into that category. I certainly got on well with him. I had a good rapport with him.

"But we didn't socialise outside of work. The wedding was the only occasion."

• UK
• Leveson Inquiry
• John Yates

• Ex-directory numbers: Getting phone numbers which are not included in the Phone Book
• Friends and family numbers: Getting BT Friends and Family chosen numbers (discounted calls to selected people)
• Criminal record checks: Criminal Records Checks carried out on the Police National Computer

• Vehicle registration: DVLA searches to get details from a number plate, such as the name and address of a driver
• Blags: Where information has been obtained from an organistation by deception
• Mobile Conversions: Getting personal details, such as a name and address, from a mobile number

• Landline Conversions: Getting personal details, such as a name and address, from a landline number

• UK
• Leveson
• Press Regulation

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.

• UK
• Leveson
• Press Regulation

Alec Owens, who led the investigation for the Information Commissioner's Office, told ITV News that payments to private investigator Steve Whittamore were happening on a “massive scale” but claimed only about 1% of victims have been informed.

• UK
• Leveson
• Press Regulation