The Sunday People is facing a £100,000 costs and damages payout after using information from an apparently stolen mobile phone to seek to expose an affair between a primary school teacher and a footballer.

It had been facing legals costs of £241,817, but this bill from the woman’s lawyers (who acted on a no-win, no fee basis) was reduced by the High Court after publisher Mirror Group Newspapers argued it was disproportionate.

The case has come to light in a legal judgement setting out the reasons behind the new costs award of £83,954.80.