6:29pm UK, Sunday January 16, 2011
Former footballer Paul Gascoigne is to sue the News of the World alleging he was a victim of phone hacking, according to reports.
Paul Gascoigne will launch legal action within days, it is reported
The ex-England star is the latest celebrity to begin legal action against the newspaper.
Comedian Steve Coogan and actress Sienna Miller have already issued legal proceedings in the High Court in connection with the scandal, reports say.
TV presenter Chris Tarrant and jockey Kieran Fallon are also expected to sue the paper.
Gascoigne's solicitor Gerald Shamash said legal proceeedings would be launched within days.
He told The Observer: "All being well we will probably issue this week."
Mr Shamash claimed Gascoigne is in a vulnerable mental state and that his recovery had been hindered because of the trauma of believing his phone had been hacked.
"It has made things even more difficult for his general wellbeing," he told the paper.
Gascoigne has been fighting drink and drug problems for a number of years and been in and out of rehabilitation clinics.
Coogan claims private information was misused in grossly offensive actions
According to the Observer, Coogan claims the News of the World and private investigator Glen Mulcaire intercepted his voicemail messages between February 2005 and August 2006, and misused private information in grossly offensive actions.
He is now demanding damages from publishers News Group Newspapers and Mulcaire, the Observer said.
The latest developments come after prosecutors announced they are to trawl through all the material collected by Scotland Yard linked to the phone hacking scandal.
Reporter Clive Goodman and Mulcaire were jailed over the controversy in January 2007 after they admitted intercepting messages at the Old Bailey.
News of the World editor Andy Coulson - now Downing Street communications chief - later resigned from the paper.
Sienna Miller has already lodged documents in the High Court
He has consistently denied any knowledge of phone tapping during his time as editor.
Director of Prosecutions Keir Starmer said the "comprehensive assessment" of evidence would ascertain whether further criminal charges could be brought.
Miller has accused News Group Newspapers and Mulcaire of breaching her privacy and of harassment.
It emerged earlier this month that News of the World executive Ian Edmondson was suspended as a result of her claims.
Scotland Yard detectives subsequently wrote to the newspaper asking for any new evidence staff had on the case.
Now a senior QC will re-examine material amassed as part of the original inquiry and any new evidence that has come to light.
A News of the World spokeswoman said: "We will, of course, co-operate fully with any inquiries relating to the assessment by the CPS."
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