Jude Law tells phone-hacking trial 'press knew secret plans'

Actor Jude Law has told the phone-hacking trial at the Old Bailey that the media seemed to have "an unhealthy amount of information" about his life.

He also said photographers would turn up at places where he had secretly arranged to take his children.

The News of the World paid a relative to leak information, jurors also heard.

Former News of the World editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson are on trial accused of conspiracy to hack mobile phones, charges they deny.

There are seven defendants in total, with some of them facing allegations of illegal payments to public officials and, separately, allegations of attempts to hide potential evidence. All seven deny the charges against them.

A crowd of television cameras and photographers gathered as the 41-year-old Hollywood star arrived at the central London court earlier.

'Already there'

Mr Law told the jury press attention began to intensify when he was nominated for an Oscar in 2001 for The Talented Mr Ripley.

It grew during his divorce from actress Sadie Frost, and his relationship with Sienna Miller, also an actress.

"There seemed to be an unhealthy amount of information that people, or someone, had, that meant they had access to my life and my whereabouts," he told the jury.

Mr Law said that when police showed him the notes that News of the World private investigator Glenn Mulcaire held about him, he was "shocked" at the amount of information accumulated.

"Sadly it didn't surprise me because it seemed apparent from what had been written," Mr Law said.

The actor said the "daily appearance of packs of photographers either on the street or in cars became a very regular occurrence" from about 2001.

He said he would make secret arrangements to go to places, "and the media were already there".

He said he had been loaned phones by film companies when he was in the United States - and some of those numbers had been in Mr Mulcaire's notebook.

'Troubleshoot' stories

A close member of Mr Law's family was leaking information to the News of the World for money in 2005, the court heard.

Timothy Langdale QC, defending Mr Coulson, questioned Mr Law about a story about his then-girlfriend, Ms Miller, having an affair with James Bond actor Daniel Craig.

Jude Law gave evidence for about two hours at London's Old Bailey

Asked if he knew a member of his "immediate family" was talking to the News of the World, Mr Law answered: "I was aware later around 2011, maybe later than that, at the time I was approached about the case that the News of the World had been in contact with people in my family, trying to find things out, asking for quotes."

Asked if he knew the family member was getting paid, he said: "I have never been aware of that, getting paid for it."

The first he knew of that was today, in the court, he said.

Mr Law told the court that when the learned of rumours of the affair, he telephoned Mr Craig to confront him, but that he had not left a voicemail.

Asked if he was aware that anyone around him was leaking stories, he said: "No, I did not know that anyone around me was talking to the newspapers, although I suspected it because there was such a flow of information. I suspected many people over that period of time."

Mr Langdale wrote down a name on a piece of paper, and showed it to the actor. The name was not read out in court.

Mr Law said: "I was made aware very recently that there had been some kind of communication with this person and several others in and around and about this period of time. I was never aware any money had been exchanged."

The actor also told the court he used a publicist to "troubleshoot" before stories emerged, and the publicist had spoken to the News of the World.

But he said he had never knowingly helped the Sunday tabloid to write a story about his private life.

The trial, which began at the end of October last year and is due to last until May, continues.