Doherty receives hacking damages

Cult rocker Pete Doherty has accepted thousands of pounds in damages after his phone voicemail messages were hacked by a private detective working for the News of the World.

The former Libertines star launched legal action against the now-defunct tabloid when evidence emerged he had been targeted by a freelance investigator employed by the newspaper.

On Wednesday, Doherty accepted undisclosed damages - believed to run into thousands of pounds - from the publication's parent company News Group Newspapers during a hearing at London's High Court.

It also emerged on Wednesday that singer/songwriter James Blunt has launched legal action against the News of the World over the phone hacking scandal.