The Leveson Inquiry into press standards has heard details suggesting that the illegal practice of phone-hacking was widespread.

Notebooks belonging to private detective Glenn Mulcaire suggest he hacked phones for the News of the World, and The Sun and the Daily Mirror.
The inquiry heard that 28 NoW employees were named in the notebooks.

Yesterday, at the outset of the inquiry, Lord Leveson warned newspapers not to victimise inquiry witnesses who speak out against press intrusion.

However, he pointed out that he had "absolutely no wish to stifle freedom of speech and expression".

BBC TV News reported that counsel to the inquiry, Robert Jay QC, gave details of notebooks belonging to Mulcaire, who was jailed with the News of the World's former royal editor Clive Goodman in 2007 after admitting intercepting messages on royal phones.

Mulcaire wrote first names in the top left-hand corner of his notes recording voicemails he illegally intercepted, the inquiry heard.

Some of these corresponded to NoW employees, one of whom - referred to only as "A" - apparently made 1453 separate requests for information.

But he also wrote "The Sun" and a name relating to the Daily Mirror in his notebooks, the inquiry was told.

Opening the inquiry, Lord Justice Leveson say the phrase "Who guards the guardians" was the task facing this inquiry - which was described at one point as "a root and branch investigation of the press".

Leveson stressed the importance of newspapers to democracy, and issued a warning that he would be watching to see if any of the "victims" who give evidence had a rough time in the newspapers afterwards.

BBC TV News reported: “Two competing versions of British newspapers were presented.

“In one, they are a force for great public good and hold the powerful to account. In the other, they (particularly the tabloids) use unscrupulous methods and believe themselves to be almost above the law."

The BBC quote a spokesman for Trinity Mirror as saying: "The company has no knowledge of ever using Glenn Mulcaire."