A Sandhurst instructor let Princes William and Harry down and undermined morale by becoming "the eyes and ears" of a senior Sun reporter – even inside a lap-dancing bar, a court was told. (Picture: Reuters)

John Hardy was considered by the tabloid's royal editor, Duncan Larcombe, to be his "most important Sandhurst contact" during the time the brothers were officer cadets at the military academy between May 2005 and December 2006, jurors were told.

Hardy was paid nearly £24,000 for providing a "constant stream" of stories and pictures to Larcombe, prosecutor Michael Parroy QC told the Old Bailey jury.