Sienna Miller says Sun illegally sought medical records of pregnancy

A major financial settlement paid to Sienna Miller over phone hacking is "tantamount" to an admission of illegal activity by the Sun, a court has heard.

In a statement read in court, the actor's lawyers said she believed the Sun had targeted medical records about her pregnancy, despite the publisher's denials.

A High Court judge ruled Miller could publicly repeat some of her suspicions, even if they were unproven.

The payout is confidential.

But it may be one of the largest settlements by Rupert Murdoch's organisation to victims of phone hacking.

Lawyers for News Group Newspapers, the Sun's parent company, had argued in court that Miller should not be able to say anything in open court about the newspaper because she had settled without going to trial.

But yesterday the judge ruled that Miller could publicly repeat some of her suspicions, based on evidence in her case.

In a highly significant statement read by Miller's lawyer, David Sherborne, the court heard that the actor had been the subject of "intense media scrutiny and serious intrusion" from 2003, in particular from the Sun.

He said Miller was "horrified" to see court documents which she believed showed senior Sun journalist Nick Parker had claimed expenses and met a "medical records tracer" in July and August 2005 to discuss Miller's pregnancy.

The statement said Miller also believes the medical records tracer was Christine Hart, who allegedly obtained private medical information and appeared to have issued an invoice for "Sienns (sic) Miller Pregnant research".

Miller's statement said she was shocked to see that evidence "appeared to show that the Sun had paid for Ms Hart to unlawfully target her to get information on her pregnancy".

It continued that Miller had a "firm belief" - based on call data and disclosures about private investigators and payments - that she was a subject of "unlawful gathering techniques" from around 2003.

"NGN's historic public denials and refusal to accept any responsibility has only served to intensify the upset," the statement said.

It added that the actor believes it was Rebekah Brooks, then editor of the Sun, who first called her representative to say that she knew Miller was pregnant.

The former Sun editor's denials, "including under oath", that she was involved in or aware of unlawful activity were "especially aggravating" to Miller, the statement said.

The statement said that even though the settlement included no admission of liability, the fact that the Sun's publishers agreed to pay "such a substantial sum" was "tantamount to an admission of liability on the part of the Sun".

Miller "feels fully vindicated", her lawyer said.