Phone hacking at Mirror Group newspapers made the crimes of the News of the World look like a ‘ cottage industry ’ , the High Court was told yesterday . Journalists at the Daily Mirror , Sunday Mirror and the People listened in to the private messages of celebrities on a ‘ mass industrial scale ’ , it was claimed . Scores of celebrities including footballer Paul Gascoigne and actress Sadie Frost were targeted thousands of times . Hacking claims : Scores of celebrities including footballer Paul Gascoigne ( left ) and actress Sadie Frost ( right ) were targeted thousands of times . In a sign of the scale of the gross intrusion , one reporter is suspected of hacking about 100 people every day for 18 months . And a senior colleague was so desperate for stories he wanted to create an ‘ Enigma-type ’ code-breaking machine so he could access more messages . The details were revealed yesterday at the start of a civil claim brought by eight claimants , including Gascoigne , Miss Frost and BBC chief Alan Yentob . Details : A civil claim is being brought by eight claimants , including Gascoigne , Miss Frost and BBC chief Alan Yentob ( pictured ) Mr Justice Mann must assess the extent of phone hacking across the three titles and rule on the level of damages payable to each of the claimants . The newspaper group has already set up a £12million compensation fund . Last month it printed an apology for ‘ unwarranted and unacceptable intrusion into people ’ s private lives ’ in the decade up to 2009 . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .
Claims involve reporters at Daily Mirror , Sunday Mirror and People . Celebrities including Paul Gascoigne and Sadie Frost were targeted . 100 reporter os suspected of hacking One people daily for 18 months .