The crime reporter for the Mirror comes up with an odd excuse for the the lack of the police action over the bugging of telephones that is the most vacuous yet.

He gives as a reason that mobile telephone call records are only kept for 9 months hence the police having no "evidence".

That is blown out of the water by the 3 sporting personalities whose lawyers were able to access police records which resulted in a settlement on 3 of over $1.3M

Here is my view : not only would a sensible private eye keep detailed records of any illegal work he had been commissioned for, for his own protection (and would be in keeping with Private Eye's oft reported news that the 2 jailed received very nice contracts with obscure but related companies connected with the errant newspaper after leaving jail) but those charged were most likely singled out for who they are: a royal correspondent and in a blaze of the media a signal was sent-the Royal Family is off limits for illicit activity.

But that of course would go against the Mirror and most other tabloids hand in hand association with the police ..a marriage made in hell and highly unethical.

My gut feeling-a conspiracy is going to unravel and this one is going to get really really bad and heads will roll.

You are right - but I still cant see the story having legs because it looks like New Labour;s shot across the bows of News Int before the election. As long as these papers promise to back Gordon Brown they are safe.

true..of all the complaints the government's has been the most pathetic and then it's only to try and score a shot at Coulson.

But I reckon the establishment is coming out in force. Remember-Murdoch is loathed by the British establishment and is viewed as a carpetbagger/bushranger:

Time to cut him loose.