Royals snooping probe widens to include politicians and celebrities

THE case of a tabloid reporter suspected of eavesdropping on Prince Charles yesterday broadened into a probe of possible snooping on a wide array of politicians and celebrities.

British police were questioning two men, one of them a reporter who covers the royal family for the News of the World, after some of Prince Charles’s staff said they thought someone was listening to their phones.

Scotland Yard was last night investigating whether high-profile public figures or members of the British royal family have had their mobile phone voicemail messages intercepted.

It is believed that at least one cabinet minister, but not Tony Blair, could be affected as well as other senior politicians, celebrities and well-known footballers.

Publicist Max Clifford yesterday revealed he had been contacted by his mobile phone provider O2 and told of “irregularities” in his voicemail.

Mr Clifford said: “I am not saying they are connected. Maybe it is just an amazing coincidence.”

O2 passed the information to police, although no connection with Scotland Yard’s inquiry has been confirmed.

Earlier, Tom Bradby, ITV’s political editor, told of the moment he and Prince William realised mobile phone voicemail messages of royal aides could have been intercepted.

He claimed the News of the World printed details of a meeting he had arranged with the prince before it had even taken place.

He and William eventually met up and discussed the story, with the prince raising concerns about another article about a meeting with his knee surgeon.

Mr Bradby, a former ITV News royal correspondent, said he was “pretty surprised” to discover details of the meeting in the News of the World.

He said: “When he and I hooked up we both looked at each other and said, ‘well how on earth did that get out?’ and we worked out that only he and I, and two people incredibly close to him, had actually known about it.”

The News of the World’s long-standing royal editor, Clive Goodman, 48, was being questioned at Charing Cross Police Station in London while a 35-year-old man was being held at a different station.

A third man, aged 50, was released on police bail early yesterday morning.

All three were held under Section 1 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, under which the potential penalties are a maximum of two years in jail, a fine or both.

Detectives are now investigating how long the alleged phone hacking has been going on. They are analysing a large number of telephone numbers, who they belonged to and whether they had been subject to interception.