Tom Crone: Claims I misled parliament 'lack foundation'

Former legal manager for News International Tom Crone has denied allegations he misled the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, claiming the committee's report into phone hacking contains "serious flaws" and accusations which "lack foundation".

Earlier today the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee said it had unanimously concluded in its report that Crone had misled the committee in 2009 "by giving a counter-impression of the significance of confidentiality in the Gordon Taylor settlement" and had "sought to mislead the committee about the commissioning of surveillance".

It also concluded that former News of the World editor Colin Myler and former News International executive chairman Les Hinton also misled the committee.

Both Tom Crone and Colin Myler were accused of having "misled the committee by answering questions falsely about their knowledge of evidence that other News of the World employees had been involved in phone hacking and other wrongdoing".

Myler has already issued a statement to say he stands by the evidence given to the committee and "always sought to be accurate and consistent". According to reports Les Hinton also issued a statement saying allegations he misled parliament and was "complicit" in a cover-up are "unfounded, unfair and erroneous".

In his own statement today Crone said the accusation that he gave a "counter-impression" in relation to the significance of confidentiality in the Gordon Taylor settlement "seems a particularly subjective concept upon which to base such serious allegations."

He goes on to list the allegations levelled against him next to what he argues is "evidence given on these matters by Colin Myler and myself which clearly demonstrate serious flaws in the report".

His spokesperson has tweeted a full copy of his statement online.

"For the avoidance of doubt, I entirely accept the News of the World phone-hacking scandal is a matter of enormous public importance which needed a full and proper investigation and I in no way wish to diminish the good work undertaken by the Committee," Crone adds.

"I accept that there are valid criticisms of my conduct in this matter but for the second time in a week, I seem to be the subject of serious allegations which lack foundation."

Last week Crone issued a statement denying he was involved in a cover-up in relation to phone hacking at the News of the World, following Rupert Murdoch's appearance before the Leveson inquiry.

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).