Sun Goodman hacking story has sting in its tail

The Sun has a page lead today on the explosive Clive Goodman letter, released yesterday by the DCMS Select Committee, which has sparked claims of a News International cover up over the phone hacking affair.

It is a straight news report but has a sting in its tail for the Guardian.

The last par says: "MPs Louise Mensch and Tom Watson [members of the DCMS Select Committee] last night demanded to know how the Goodman letter came to be leaked to The Guardian before their report was published."

Goodman letter blows whistle on phone hacking

A letter written by former News of the World Royal reporter Clive Goodman, jailed after admitting hacking phone messages, has revealed the extent and knowledge of phone hacking at the paper.

The letter, which was written four years ago by Goodman to News International's director of human resources Daniel Cloke appealing against his dismissal, was released today by the Department of Culture Media and Sport Select Committee.

On phone hacking, it says: "This practice was widely discussed in the daily editorial conference, until explicit reference to it was banned by the editor."

It also says: "Tom Crone [the NoW lawyer] and the editor promised on many occasions that I could come back to a job at the newspaper if I did not implicate the paper or any of its staff in my mitigation plea. I did not, and I expect the paper to honour its promise to me."

Nick Davies has the full story on the Guardian.

Guardian has Goodman letter here.

DCMS Select Committee publishes NI correspondence here.

• DCMS Select Committe member Tom Watson MP said: "Clive Goodman's letter is the most significant piece of evidence that has been revealed so far. It completely removes News International's defence. This is one of the largest cover-ups I have seen in my lifetime."