Colin Myler: There was no phone hacking cover up

The last editor of the News of the World today denied there was a phone hacking "cover up" at the newspaper - but admitted he suspected there were unexploded "bombs" under the newsroom floor.

Colin Myler told the judicial inquiry into the press that a mammoth secret payment to football union boss Gordon Taylor, who had his phone hacked by the Sunday tabloid, was to limit reputational damage.

Under questioning from Robert Jay QC, he said: "I do not believe there was a cover up. I think that we were all dealing with a very difficult negotiation (with Mr Taylor) and trying to protect our reputation." At that moment, Lord Leveson interrupted and said: "It might be semantics what one person would describe as a cover up another person would describe as an attempt to limit reputational damage."

Mr Myler agreed.

The 60-year-old journalist said: "I felt there could have been bombs under the newsroom floor and I didn't know where they were or when they were going to go off."