REUTERS

Former NI chairman Les Hinton told MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport.

The lawyer who represents News International has admitted he knew the firm had misled the British parliament when it claimed phone hacking had been carried out only by a “rogue reporter”.

Julian Pike, a partner with Farrer and Co, said he had been told in 2008 that at least four reporters on the News of the World had been involved in the practice.

But - a year later - former NI chairman Les Hinton told MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport select committee that he believed only royal correspondent Clive Goodman had hacked phones.

Pike, whose clients include the Queen,on Wednesday told the same MPs that despite knowing Hinton had not told the truth, he did nothing to alert the authorities, because of client confidentiality.

Quizzed by the MPs about the stage he realised previous evidence given to them was not true, Pike said it “would have been at the point it was given to you”. Pressed by Labour MP Paul Farrelly on what action he had taken since, Pike admitted: “I haven’t done very much.”

Farrelly said: “I’m just imagining a headline: Queen’s solicitors knew the News of the World was lying to Parliament but did nothing about it. Do you think that reflects well or badly?”

Pike said: “We have obligations to the client we are acting for. That is a headline that is obviously not ideal.”

But the lawyer said it would be “very unfair of me to tell you that someone deliberately misled” the committee.

He insisted there had not been a “cover-up” of the scandal because the police had all the relevant documents they needed to have launched a wider investigation.

Pike advised NI to pay £425 000 - despite the highest compensation for breach of privacy he had previously been involved in being £30 000-£40 000 - to Gordon Taylor because the Professional Footballers Association boss had evidence that his phone had been hacked.

Solicitor Mark Lewis, who represented Taylor, said he is representing clients about possible hacking cases carried out by NI employees on “American soil”. In 2009, several NI executives told MPs that one reporter was involved in hacking. They deny misleading the committee. - Daily Mail