Private investigator attempts to gag media

The jailed private detective at the centre of the News of the World's phone hacking scandal is taking legal action to prevent the media reporting any details of News International's illegal operations that could be revealed in a trial scheduled to begin later this month.

Glenn Mulcaire's lawyer, Sarah Webb, confirmed last night that an application for reporting restrictions would be made before Mr Justice Vos on Wednesday at the High Court.

The application will argue that the trial, intended to deliver "benchmark" damages for outstanding claims against NOTW, could prejudice the chances of Mulcaire receiving a fair trial should he face further criminal charges relating to phone hacking at the Sunday tabloid which Rupert Murdoch closed last year.

Mulcaire, along with the NOTW's former royal correspondent, Clive Goodman, was convicted in 2007 of illegally accessing the voicemails of royal aides, including some messages left by Prince William.

Mulcaire is currently on police bail having been arrested last year in connection with the Metropolitan Police's new investigation into the full scale of phone hacking at the NOTW.

The Independent has learned that a further 100 people identified in Mulcaire's notebooks have contacted solicitors and ordered them to explore claims against NI.