Trinity Mirror, the publisher of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, is now believed to be facing at least 16 civil claims for breach of privacy linked to allegations of phone-hacking.
Twenty individuals have now launched legal actions over alleged phone-hacking against Mirror Group Newspapers – with a further 10 set to issue claims, the High Court was told today.
David Sherborne, representing a group of claimants, told a judge at a hearing in London that the claimants included former Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston and the BBC's creative director Alan Yentob.
He disclosed the latest figures at the start of a case management hearing relating to proceedings brought against the publisher of the Sunday Mirror and Daily Mirror.
Sherborne said there were now 20 different claimants with a further 10 "who intend to issue claims", adding that the number of claims was "likely to increase".
The court heard that other claimants include actor Shane Richie, his wife and his agent, and also Jude Law's personal assistant, Ben Jackson.
Mr Justice Mann is being asked to decide on how the litigation should proceed. A trial is expected next February.
Last year Mr Justice Mann refused to throw out phone-hacking damages claims brought against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) by ex-footballer Garry Flitcroft and Abbie Gibson, former nanny to David and Victoria Beckham.
The judge, who is overseeing the phone-hacking litigation, also dismissed applications to strike out parts of claims brought by former England football manager Sven-Goran Erikssonn and actress Shobna Gulati, who played Sunita Alahan in Coronation Street.
The unsuccessful "strike out" applications brought by MGN relating to Flitcroft and Gibson were made on the basis that their claims had no reasonable prospect of success.
It has been reported that new claims in the MGN litigation include Cilla Black, presenter Davina McCall, EastEnders actor Jessie Wallace and ex-football star Paul Gascoigne's former wife Sheryl.
Four serving and former Trinity Mirror national newspaper journalists are currently on police bail after being arrested by police investigating allegations of phone-hacking.
A Trinity Mirror spokesman said: "Trinity Mirror can confirm that it is aware of some 20 claims that have been issued against MGN Ltd alleging phone hacking. We continue to investigate the basis of these claims and no further comments can be made at this stage."
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