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Telephone calls from Sir Alex Ferguson and Alan Shearer were among those bugged by the News of the World, it was claimed today.
The Manchester United manager and the former England striker and Newcastle United manager had messages intercepted by a private investigator who passed details on to reporters.
They are said to have both left messages on the mobile phone of Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, who sued the newspaper last year.
The latest revelations came as it emerged that celebrities and public figures whose phones are claimed to have been hacked are considering suing the News of the World.
Lawyers said they had been contacted by various individuals, including politicians, seeking legal advice.
The Guardian has claimed that the Sunday tabloid paid £1 million to settle legal cases which threatened to reveal the extent of the illegal methods used to get stories.
The newspaper also said the tabloid used private investigators to hack into “thousands” of mobile phones. The paper paid Mr Taylor more than £700,000 in damages and costs to settle without a public hearing.
Scotland Yard assistant commissioner John Yates said last night that police had seen no additional evidence since its last investigation, which ended with the jailing of News of the World royal reporter Clive Goodman in 2007 for tapping the phones of the royals, and ruled out a further inquiry.
The claims have led to calls for the News of the World's former editor Andy Coulson to resign as Tory communications chief.
The victims of the phone tapping are said to have included former deputy prime minister John Prescott, PR agent Max Clifford, Mayor Boris Johnson and actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
Other messages collected from Taylor's phone are believed to have referred to the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, medical bills incurred by the former England player Paul Gascoigne, the former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp and a prominent Premier League player who had a cocaine problem.
Crown prosecutors are carrying out an “urgent” review today of evidence presented by police in the Goodman inquiry.
Keir Starmer QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, said he wanted to reassure himself and the public that “appropriate actions” were taken over material provided by the police three years ago.
Reader views (8)
"Sir Alex and Shearer were part of phone tap scandal"
Am I bovvered?
- Freda Worboys, London, UK
I don't think that many of the celebs will actually get around to suing because you have to have one hundred per cent proof, not ninetynine per cent proof and Murdoch has more money than all of them combined plus insurance. It will die a short death because the general public couldn't care less
- Peter, Hertford
i slipped down to my brief to get one in, not that i've been hacked into; but i thought i might get one under the wire in the general avalanche of litageous celebrities and get a quick result.
- M.O'Brien, london.uk
Ian from Reading - Spot on!!
- Malcolm, London
Listening to Alan Shearer's conversations? Why? Can't sleep?
- Paul, London
To add some clarity, this wasn’t really phones being hacked. It was a case of users leaving their doors open and being overheard.
These people that are now crying, all left their public answer services open for anyone to listen too. A bit like someone having a loud telephone conversation on the train, we can all hear it, but most of us try to tune out.
If you use an answer service in the public domain and do nothing to secure it for just your own personal use what do you expect would happen? All these people complaining just left the door open, they only had to close it and no one would have heard their conversations. In other words if they password protected their service like they were asked to when setting it up no one could have been able to listened in.
This is not hacking; it’s eavesdropping, unethical, but not illegal.
- Ian, Reading, England
I couldn't give two hoots if 'celebs' phones are hacked. They do nothing useful to mankind, just fill the coffers of newspapers and liberate the less intelligent of their money.
I see Coleen's son may have swine flu. Hold the front page - not. Who cares? I'm not normally a supporter of the police state we have here in the UK however I do admire their reluctance to get involved in this case. Let them fight it in court with their own cash if they want, should be good for a laugh.
What about us mere mortals right to privacy; my e-mails, phone calls, web usage, cctv and the rest? Until they s*d off with all this I will just sit back and indulge in a bit of schadenfreude.
Pop corn please and get back to ripping the politicians a new one!
- Man In The Street, London, UK
Never let it be said that a possible smear campaign wasn't taken to its deepest depths before being dropped in favour of the next potential smear. Still raking over the coals of years gone by though.
Cue Keith and Val and their few remaining cohorts.
- Rogan, Irving
