(corrected repetition: removes para 2)

Ms McCann said that in June 2016, two years after being contacted by the Metropolitan Police, Ms Miller's lawyers wrote to MGN and it was plain from the ensuing disclosure that she had been targeted extensively by journalists from all three MGN titles, as had those people around her.

"Ms Miller was extremely upset by the lengths MGN went to to invade her private life.

"Even though it was a number of years ago, the consequences have been far reaching in terms of the distress caused at the time and the lasting damage to many friendships and relationships as well as to her career.

"It has made her very angry to also discover that so many people close to her, some of which she suspected of potentially being the source of the private information, were being targeted by MGN as well."

ends

Ms McCann said Mr Theakston alleged he was targeted throughout the period 1998-2010 and that 42 articles published across all three MGN titles were the product of voicemail interception or other unlawful information gathering techniques.

"Mr Theakston is appalled and angered by the lengths to which MGN went in order to invade his private life over a decade ago.

"This had a very significant impact on both his personal life and his professional life.

"Many relationships were damaged or destroyed as a result of MGN's conduct and this is a source of huge regret to Mr Theakston.

"He was also very distressed to learn that members of his family were targeted by MGN journalists in order that they could find out information about him."

Ms Willcox said Mr Greco, who played Beppe in the BBC soap, had been shocked and upset to learn that he had been targeted by a private investigator over a decade ago in 2006.

mfl