Journalists 'may have hacked NI Secretary's computer'

Former Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain is the latest name to be added to the phone hacking scandal.

The Guardian newspaper has said he has been warned that his computer may have been hacked when he was in the job between 2005 and 2007.

Scotland Yard is examining allegations that his files, as well as those of senior civil servants and intelligence agents, were targeted by News International.

Today, journalists will give evidence to the public inquiry on press standards.

The Leveson Inquiry will hear evidence from Nick Davies, from the Guardian, responsible for uncovering the News of the World phone hacking affair.

Also speaking will be Paul McMullan, a former features editor at the now-defunct newspaper, as well as Richard Peppiatt who resigned from the Daily Star in protest at what he claimed was its anti-Muslim propaganda.

Yesterday singer Charlotte Church told the inquiry she was persuaded to waive a £100,000 fee to perform at Rupert Murdoch’s wedding on the promise of “favourable” coverage in his papers.

Former English teacher Christopher Jefferies, who was wrongly arrested for the murder of Joanna Yeates, described how he was “shamelessly vilified” by the press.

And broadcaster Anne Diamond, who spoke of media intrusion after the death of her son Sebastian in 1991, said Rupert Murdoch’s editors waged a vendetta against her after she asked the media mogul how he slept at night knowing his newspapers ruined people’s lives.

Former Number 10 communications director Alistair Campbell is expected to give evidence tomorrow, after a draft of his witness statement was leaked to a blogger.

Lord Justice Leveson yesterday made an order banning advance publication of documents submitted to the inquiry.

Paul Staines, who blogs under the name Guido Fawkes, posted a draft of Mr Campbell’s written evidence online at the weekend.

Mr Staines, whose Order-Order blog combines political gossip and comment with some genuine news scoops, claims to have obtained Mr Campbell’s witness statement “by legal means”.

He has now been called to give evidence this week about how he obtained Mr Campbell’s evidence.