Straw pressed to probe into bugging

A leading QC has warned that such breaches could lead to serious offenders such as Soham murderer Ian Huntley being set free - sparking opposition parties to demand a statement.

Liberal Democrat spokesman Chris Huhne has written to Mr Straw demanding he make clear how widespread the eavesdropping was and the extent of minister's knowledge.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has already launched an inquiry into claims a Labour MP's jail meetings with a terror suspect constituent were bugged at Woodhill Prison, Milton Keynes.

Sadiq Khan's case sparked particular controversy amid suggestions it breached a ban on bugging MPs - and is being examined by Chief Surveillance Commissioner Sir Christopher Rose.

Now the Tories and Liberal Democrats are demanding a fresh probe into claims by an unnamed whistleblower that it was part of a wider practice nationwide.

The individual, said to have "detailed knowledge" of the operation at Woodhill, told the Daily Telegraph "hundreds" of meetings with lawyers had been eavesdropped. Murderers and other category-A prisoners - including Huntley - were said to have been targeted as well as terror suspects.

Geoffrey Robertson QC said there needed to be an immediate investigation into the claims - warning that if true they could lead to violent offenders such as Huntley being released. "The end result, if that is the case, is that these cases will have to be brought back to court and in my view the courts will react with such fury as a matter of principle, those whose conversations were bugged will have to be let out," he said.

The Ministry of Justice said covert listening operations were "a matter for the police and are undertaken in line with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000".

But Mr Huhne said that appeared to contradict the Justice Secretary's assurance to the Commons last week that rules preventing such bugging were "rigorously enforced".