‘The Sun’ pays MP damages after accessing text messages

A Labour MP has accepted “very substantial” damages from The Sun after the tabloid admitted its staff accessed private information from her stolen mobile phone three years ago, London’s High Court heard yesterday.

Siobhain McDonagh later said she was paid £50,000 (€58,230) damages by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp following revelations Sun reporters had been accessing text messages on her mobile phone which was taken from her car in London in Oct 2010.

“I’m not terribly high profile, I love doing my constituency stuff, but I would never have thought that my phone was of interest to a national daily newspaper,” the Southwest London MP told BBC radio.