THE NOTW HACKING SCANDAL RUMBLES ON

THE INDEPENDENT MONDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER 2012 - Exclusive: News of the World hired detective firm linked with murder to spy on Met Chief

Detective firm invoiced Mirror 230 times in two years

The murder of private detective Daniel Morgan was bizarre. He was found slumped in a pub car park with an axe embedded in his skull. Not only was £1,000 left in the dead man's pocket, but sticking plaster had been wound round the axe handle to ensure no fingerprints were left behind.

But equally intriguing were the startling allegations made in the aftermath of this 1987 south London murder. It was claimed that Morgan had been about to expose police wrongdoing or corruption, and that officers could even have been involved his killing. No evidence came to light to support these claims.

Morgan's partner in Southern Investigations, Jonathan Rees, was charged with the murder but the case against him was dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions for lack of evidence.

The CIB bugging operation in 1999 was successful in breaking up the corrupt network led by Rees and his police contacts, and Southern is now defunct. But virtually no evidence was gathered about Morgan's murder. In June, Scotland Yard announced through the BBC's Crimewatch programme that it was reopening its investigation. A £50,000 reward is available for crucial information

THE INFLUENCE DODGY JOURNALISTS CAN HAVE OVER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS