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Nine Journalists Told Elveden Cases Dropped

Most of the outstanding charges against journalists involved in Operation Elveden have been dropped following the latest failed prosecution.

Nine of the 12 journalists awaiting trial or retrial as part of the inquiry into payments to public officials have been informed by the Crown Prosecution Service that no further action would be taken.

The group includes Andy Coulson, the former News of the World editor and director of communications to David Cameron, who still faces a perjury charge in Scotland.

The development was confirmed on the day four of their colleagues were cleared at the Old Bailey.

There were angry calls to "stop persecuting innocent journalists" after The Sun's Tom Wells, Neil Millard and Brandon Malinsky and former Daily Mirror reporter Graham Brough were found not guilty of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office.

It brings the total number of reporters cleared by a jury after being charged as part of the Met Police investigation - which has cost more than £11m - to 14.

The CPS said they were scrapping the cases of the nine following an urgent review prompted when the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction of the first reporter to be found guilty.

However, the head of the CPS, Alison Saunders, has told Sky News the decision to prosecute journalists was not a mistake.

She said: "This was a situation we hadn't come across before but it followed two public inquiries.

"There was a very thorough police investigation and of course we charged in accordance with the guidance that not only did we publish, but we had widely consulted on and which was welcomed."

She said the CPS had to look at whether there was sufficient evidence that a crime had been committed, and whether it was in the public interest, before prosecuting.

The CPS will go ahead with cases involving six public officials, the wife of a public official and three Sun journalists, while the fate of five more journalists who are waiting to hear if they will be charged has yet to be decided.

The jury in the latest trial deliberated for 43 hours and reached not guilty verdicts on all but one count against Mr Wells and former Serco immigration detention centre official Mark Blake.

The jury was discharged and the CPS was given seven days to decide whether to seek a retrial.

The four cleared journalists were cheered by friends and colleagues as they emerged from court.

Among them were defendants from previous Elveden trials including the Sun's royal editor Duncan Larcombe and former Whitehall editor Clodagh Hartley.

Mr Larcombe called for the Director of Public Prosecutions Ms Saunders and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe to resign over Elveden.

Mr Malinsky said: "I think the police and CPS have been a disgrace bringing my case and other cases to court.

"It's a disgraceful waste of public money."

He said the police should stop "persecuting innocent journalists".

The jury could not decide on a charge relating to Mr Wells' dealings with Mr Blake who, while working at Colnbrook secure immigration removal centre between 2008 and 2010, allegedly pocketed nearly £8,000 in exchange for tips.

All the defendants denied various counts of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office, while Mr Blake additionally denied misconduct in a public office.