News International faces 46 new phone-hacking claims

News Group Newspapers is facing 46 new claims in the phone-hacking civil litigation.

Hugh Tomlinson QC told Mr Justice Vos at London’s High Court that there are, in total, 4,791 potential victims of whom the police had contacted 1,892, and 1,174 were likely to be victims.

The judge is deciding a number of issues concerned with the second wave of the litigation ahead of a February 2013 trial date for any cases that do not settle.

He urged the importance of budgeting after hearing that £10 million in costs had so far been incurred in individual cases.

He said it was “unbelievable” that 55 different firms of solicitors were representing 100 claimants and said it would be appropriate to encourage claimants to instruct lawyers who already had specialist knowledge of the litigation.

He commented that there would be no sympathy for “outrageous” cost estimates.

Mr Justice Vos was told that some of those bringing claims were likely to wish to remain anonymous.

He said: “If you bring legal proceedings in this country, you expect to have them publicly known.

“There are cases where that is not the situation, but they are few and far between, and that should be made clear.”

After the hearing, lawyers Atkins Thomson issued a a register of the names of the individuals – some of them not well-known – who have issued claims in this second round of the litigation.

They are: public relations consultant Nicola Phillips; Elle Macpherson’s former adviser Mary-Ellen Field; footballer Ryan Giggs; police officer and Crimewatch presenter Jacqui Hames and husband David Cook; singer James Blunt; former royal butler Paul Burrell; footballer Peter Crouch; his wife Abigail Clancy; boxer Chris Eubank; politician Nigel Farage; footballer Kieron Dyer; golfer Colin Montgomerie’s ex-wife Eimear Cook; Andrew Gilchrist; presenter Jamie Theakston; Jade Goody’s former partner Jeff Brazier; cleared murder suspect Colin Stagg; former prime minister Tony Blair’s wife Cherie Blair; Duncan Foster; Karron Stephen-Martin; Alexandra Jane Macadam Best; Joyce Matheson; footballer David Beckham’s father Ted Beckham; Matthew Doyle; Patricia Bernal; comedian Robert Nankeville (Bobby Davro) and Trudi Nankeville; campaigner Jane Winter and British Irish Rights Watch; Gemma Louise Abbey; Lord David John Blencathra; rugby player and TV presenter Matt Dawson; Ian Richard Johnson; Jeffrey Alan Jones; actor James Nesbitt; Benedict Grant Noakes; Sir John Major’s former daughter-in-law Emma Noble; Lucy Jane Taggart; Patrick Anthony Culhane; Lily Anne Colvin; footballer Kevin Moran; Robert Ashworth; Georgina James; Barry James; Michelle Bayford, Steve Bayford (senior), Steve Bayford (junior) and Jill Burchnall; Edward Blum; footballer Wayne Rooney; agent Paul Stretford.

Tomlinson said that the 46th issued claim was on behalf of footballer Jermaine Jenas. There is likely to be a further case management conference at the end of May.