Sunday Mirror faces questions over Brooks Newmark sting

Their comments follow the resignation at the weekend of civil societies minister Brooks Newmark, who was accused by the Sunday Mirror of sending sexually explicit pictures of himself to a journalist he believed to be a female Conservative party activist.

But the newspaper’s actions have also come in for scrutiny as it faces allegations that it used images of women without their permission during the sting operation.

One of the women Charlene Tyler said the Sunday Mirror was “quite wrong” to use a picture she took of herself sunbathing.

Ms Tyler, who is from Boston, in Lincolnshire, told the Daily Telegraph: “I think grown adults can do whatever they like as long as both of them are over the age of consent … I don’t think it’s something to resign over.

“The fact that a newspaper was stealing my photograph is quite wrong. The newspaper’s taken it too far.”

‘Unpleasant’

And a Swedish model whose picture was also used said she was “shocked”.

Malin Sahlen’s picture was used on the Twitter account of the fictitious activist “Sophie Wittam” that was used to flirt with various Tory MPs, including Mr Newmark.

Speaking to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, Ms Sahlen said she had not given permission for the photograph she posted online to be used.

“I am shocked and it is unpleasant for someone to use the picture without permission,” she said.

‘Test’

Among the other MPs targeted in the sting was Mr Newmark’s Conservative colleague Mark Pritchard MP. He has tweeted his intention to contact police.

Mr Pritchard questioned why the newspaper had targeted him as a single man.

“Test for Ipso and Met Police. I will write to both today about Sunday Mirror story. Was the criminal law and Ipso Code of Conduct broken?” he wrote.

However, the Sunday Mirror has insisted the story was in the public interest.

Alison Phillips, Mirror weekend editor, told the Guardian: “This investigation was brought to the Sunday Mirror by a freelance reporter.

“The investigation, which had a clear public interest, was carried out following information from a reliable source.”

‘Strict rules’

Conservative MP John Whittingdale, who chairs the parliamentary committee that examines press regulation, said the case raised serious questions about whether or not the journalist’s method was a legitimate use of subterfuge.

He said on first glance he was not convinced it was justified and welcomed the investigation by Ipso.

He told BBC Radio 4’s The World At One programme: “There are strict rules about this … and on the first sight I’m not convinced that actually this was justified.

“I’m glad it has been referred to Ipso. That will provide the chance for the newspaper to provide justification for the use of these tactics but they will need to have to demonstrate it wasn’t a fishing exercise which it looks very much as if it was.

“They will need to demonstrate there was public interest involved. I’m not convinced that was the case either. We shall be watching very carefully as this is a test of Ipso.“

Brooks Newmark did not respond to a request for comment.