Mirror Group apologises to soap star for using investigators

The steadfast of the Mirror newspapers has made a tribunal apology to the erstwhile Coronation Street histrion Nikki Sanderson aft admitting utilizing backstage investigators to get stories astir her.

A barrister for Mirror Group Newspapers said it "unequivocally apologises" to her, adding "it shouldn't person happened and won't again".

Ms Sanderson was giving grounds successful her High Court lawsuit against the newspapers.

Despite this morning's admissions, MGN denies targeting her much widely.

She is claiming damages for 37 articles published successful the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People newspapers betwixt 1999 and 2009.

Andrew Green KC, for the newspapers, said she had lived done "much property intrusion" and giving grounds would beryllium "unpleasant and stressful."

Ms Sanderson joined Coronation Street successful 1999, aged 15, playing the relation of Candice Stowe and instantly became of involvement to the media, the tribunal heard.

Crowds would regularly stitchery extracurricular the studios and photographers would look to get pictures of her.

Ms Sanderson alleges the newspapers utilized accusation from her mobile telephone voicemails which were 'hacked', and paid backstage investigators to get idiosyncratic accusation astir her.

Mr Green said a tiny fig of records for calls from journalists to her telephone numbers had been disclosed, but showed nary grounds they were to hack her phone.

However, wrong invoices for payments to backstage investigators, Mr Green said 4 were for the firms ELI and Avalon, which person been implicated successful unlawful accusation gathering

Making the apology, helium said MGN admitted connected 4 occasions successful 2004 and 2005 journalists utilized the investigators to people Ms Sanderson.

Mr Green is continuing to cross-examine Ms Sanderson astir the stories she has enactment astatine the centre of her case.

The lawsuit is besides owed to perceive from different claimants including Coronation Street histrion Michael Turner, known professionally arsenic Michael Le Vell, and Fiona Wightman, the ex-wife of comedian Paul Whitehouse.

They each allege unlawful methods were utilized to get accusation for stories and accidental elder executives indispensable person known astir it and failed to halt it, which MGN denies.