Scotland Yard has assigned officers to consider new allegations that private investigators committed breaches of privacy.
The officers are undertaking a “formal assessment” of the claims to determine whether a criminal investigation would be appropriate, said Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick.
Channel 4 News reported that the new investigation has been codenamed Operation Tuleta and involves allegations relating to the interception of emails and hacking into computer files. One alleged victim was a former undercover agent who infiltrated the IRA, said the programme.
The formal assessment amounts to a widening of the existing investigation – codenamed Operation Weeting – into allegations of eavesdropping on mobile phone voicemail messages by staff at the News of the World.
The development came a day after the House of Commons heard claims that members of the Royal Family and former Prime Minister Tony Blair were targeted by private detective Jonathan Rees on behalf of the News of the World’s publisher, News International.
In an open letter, Ms Dick said that the new allegations “sit outside the terms of reference for Operation Weeting” and were being “properly considered” by the Metropolitan Police Service.
“Officers from within the Specialist Crime Directorate have been conducting a formal assessment process of the considerable information in their possession, to assess whether the available evidence would support further criminal investigations,” she wrote.
“As in other cases, this ongoing process will, in due course, involve consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service and will result in a formal decision as to whether new criminal investigations will be commenced.”
Channel 4 News obtained a letter sent by a Detective Inspector from Scotland Yard’s Specialist Crime Directorate to the lawyer of a man known as Kevin Fulton.
Mr Fulton, who is understood to have worked in the past as a British agent within the IRA, complained to the police in April that his e-mails had been intercepted in 2006 by people acting on behalf of News International.
The police letter said: “As a result of the new inquiry being conducted by the MPS into the unlawful interception of voicemail messages (Operation Weeting) and the various court actions relating to News International, the MPS has received a large number of inquiries and allegations relating to access to private data that are broader than voicemail interception.
“The MPS has set up a small team in order to assess the various allegations that have been made with a view to establishing whether there is available evidence and if it would be appropriate to conduct any further investigation into these activities.”
Labour’s Tom Watson told MPs yesterday: “The convicted private investigator Jonathan Rees, a contractor to News International, targeted former Prime Minister Tony Blair for covert surveillance, and at least one former home secretary.”
He also told David Cameron during Prime Minister’s Questions that members of the Royal Family may have been subjected to hacking by Mr Rees as well.
Mr Watson said: “The Metropolitan Police are in possession of paperwork detailing the dealings of criminal private investigator Jonathan Rees.
“It strongly suggests that, on behalf of News International, he was illegally targeting members of the Royal Family, senior politicians and high-level terrorist informers, yet the head of Operation Weeting has recently written to me to explain that this evidence may be outside the inquiry’s terms of reference.
“I believe powerful forces are involved in a cover-up.”
Prince Edward, the Countess of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and former Home Secretary Jack Straw are said to have been victims of hacking, The Guardian newspaper claimed.
And Kate Middleton was also said to have been targeted before she married Prince William, it said.
News of the World owner News International rejected Mr Watson’s claims.
A spokesman said: “It is well documented that Jonathan Rees and Southern Investigations worked for a whole variety of newspaper groups.
“With regards to Tom Watson’s specific allegations, we believe these are wholly inaccurate.
“The Met Police, with whom we are cooperating fully in Operation Weeting, have not asked us for any information regarding Jonathan Rees.
“We note again that Tom Watson MP made these allegations under parliamentary privilege.”
Three News of the World journalists have been arrested since the Met reopened its inquiry into claims that staff hacked into the answerphone messages of celebrities and politicians.
Talking about the allegations on the BBC’s Breakfast programme, Mr Blair said he knew no more than what he had read and had not spoken to the Metropolitan Police about it.
He added: “I assume that if someone’s got something they will get in touch with me.”
Lord Mandelson told The Independent: “I have contacted the Met Police today to ask them what information they may hold from current or previous investigations.”
He added: “It isn’t acceptable to keep pointing the finger at one newspaper when clearly the use of unlawful means of investigating was, or is, widespread.
“This is a bigger issue than the wrongdoing of one rogue investigator and that’s why this whole issue should be pursued more widely.”
Mr Straw told the paper: “I have written to the Metropolitan Police to ask exactly what evidence they have as this is the first I have heard of it.”