'Fake shaikh' was on the tail of chief phone-hacking critic

London: The News of the World journalist Mazher Mahmoud commissioned surveillance on its chief phone-hacking critic, Labour politician Tom Watson, to try to prove evidence of him having an affair, according to Watson.

News International's internal investigating group, the management and standards committee, has belatedly turned over the email evidence to a parliamentary committee, of which Watson was a member.

The e-mails implicate Mahmoud and ex-News of the World executives, assistant editor Ian Edmondson and news editor, James Mellor. The latest revelation of methods at the World presents difficulties for John Witherow, editor of the Sunday Times.

Mahmoud, the ‘fake shaikh' who specialised in undercover stings, was rehired by the Sunday Times after the World was closed by Rupert Murdoch.

The attempt by World to gain evidence of sexual indiscretions by Watson was launched on September 26, 2009, at the Labour party conference in Brighton.

Mahmoud claimed to Mellor he had received a tip that married Watson was involved with a fellow activist, and was "creeping into her hotel" in Brighton.

It was then agreed ex-police officer Derek Webb, known as the ‘Silent Shadow', would stalk Watson at the conference. The information, from an unknown informant, appears to have been false.

— Guardian News & Media Ltd