TV's Morgan quizzed in hack inquiry

Former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan has been questioned over claims of phone hacking, he confirmed today.

The 48-year-old was interviewed under caution at the end of last year by officers investigating claims of illegal interception of voicemails by Mirror G roup journalists.

In a statement released through his spokeswoman, Morgan said: "In early November I was asked to attend an interview by officers from Operation Weeting when I was next in the UK.

"This was further to a full witness statement I had already freely provided. I attended that interview as requested on 6 December 2013."

The Mirror Group was brought into the phone-hacking investigation for the first time in March last year when detectives from Operation Weeting arrested four journalists in dawn raids.

People editor James Scott and deputy editor Nick Buckley were held, along with then heavily-pregnant former editor of the Sunday Mirror Tina Weaver and former deputy editor of the newspaper Mark Thomas.

Allegations against them focused on the Sunday Mirror in 2003 and 2004.

Former editor of the Daily Mirror Richard Wallace was also interviewed by police the day after the other four journalists were questioned.

Scotland Yard did not name CNN presenter Morgan, but said: "A 48-year-old man who is a journalist was interviewed under caution on December 6 2013 by officers from Operation Golding in connection with suspected conspiracy to intercept telephone voicemails. He was interviewed by appointment at a south London police station. He was not arrested.

"Operation Golding is a strand of Operation Weeting and is specifically investigating allegations of phone interception at Mirror Group Newspapers."

Morgan has had his own chat show on CNN since 2011, and also presents an interview series for ITV as well as writing a column for the Mail on Sunday.

A spokeswoman for CNN said: " CNN has been aware of this interview since before it took place, and has no further comment."