David Beckham to sue 'News of the World' over phone hacking

David Beckham is reportedly considering suing News of the World newspaper for allegedly hacking his phone.

The footballer, who believes he was the target of hackers throughout most of the past decade, has instructed solicitors to approach Scotland Yard to find out if his name is on a list of almost 4,000 possible victims contained in notebooks belonging to Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator, reports The Telegraph.

A News of the World source claimed that the phone hacking of Beckham, his wife Victoria and their family and friends was commonplace.

“They were always hacking the Beckhams,” claimed the insider.

The Beckhams’ solicitor, Gerrard Tyrell, is understood to have written to the police.

Tyrell, who often represents Princes William and Harry, has also made inquiries about the rest of their family, including the footballer’s parents and in-laws.

A source close to Beckham said: “There were a lot of David Beckham stories in the News of the World and it’s hard to decipher what may have come from genuine sources or from phone hacking. We are inquiring into it but as yet have had no confirmation.”

The News of the World, under the editorship of Andy Coulson, had won scoop of the year at the British Press Awards in 2005 for its disclosures the year before that Beckham allegedly had an affair with Rebecca Loos, his then personal assistant, while he was playing for Real Madrid. 

The source said the origin of the story might have come as a result of phone hacking. “We have to assume his phone may have been hacked and that led to her [Loos] coming out with the story,” said the source.

The story was broken by Neville Thurlbeck, the tabloid’s chief reporter who was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of phone hacking.

“David was on the front pages probably more than any other celebrity in the decade from 2000 onwards,” the source added.