Charlotte Church settles hack claim (From Asian Image)

Charlotte Church settles hack claim

12:35pm Thursday 23rd February 2012 in National News © Press Association 2011

Singer Charlotte Church has settled her phone hacking damages claim against News of the World publisher News Group Newspapers, the High Court heard.

The resolution of the action brought by 25-year-old Miss Church and her parents James and Maria came just days before it was due to be tried at London's High Court.

Mr Justice Vos was due to consider the claim that 33 articles in the now defunct Sunday newspaper were the product of hacking into voicemails and had a negative impact on the family's business and her mother's health.

But during a hearing on possible reporting restrictions on the trial, the judge was told that the case had been settled.

At least 50 claims against NGN have now been settled, including several which were originally due to be heard with Miss Church's claim.

A hearing is still likely to take place on Monday next week at which details of the settlement may emerge.

NGN is also believed to be facing a new claim from Cherie Blair.

Lawyers for the wife of former prime minister Tony Blair confirmed they have issued a claim on her behalf, understood to be against News Group Newspapers.

Graham Atkins, of Atkins Thomson, said: "I can confirm that we have issued a claim on behalf of Cherie Blair in relation to the unlawful interception of her voicemails. I will not be commenting any further at this time."

In November, Mr Blair's former communications director Alastair Campbell told the Leveson Inquiry he had "no evidence" that journalists intercepted either Mrs Blair's voicemails or those of her lifestyle consultant Carole Caplin, but queried the source of a number of articles about the former PM's wife.