THE editor-in-chief of the Sunday Mirror has apologised to two women after their unauthorised pictures were used in a sting that lead to the resignation of Braintree MP Brooks Newmark.
Lloyd Embley said sorry for the use by a freelance reporter who snatched an old Facebook photo of Malin Sahlén, a Swedish model, for a fictional Twitter account and a "sunbathing selfie" belonging to Charlene Tyler, 26, from Boston, Lincolnshire.
But he said the newspaper stood by the story by a freelance reporter who used the images to lure Brooks Newmark into sending explicit images of himself to a fake Tory PR called "Sophie Wittams".
Embley said there was a clear public interest because of Brooks Newmark's roles as minister for civil society and co-founder of Women2Win – an organisation aimed at attracting more Conservative women to parliament – but added that the investigation had been carried out before the Sunday Mirror's involvement and originally believed the images were posed by models with their agreement.
After being contacted by the newspaper about the publication of the story Mr Newmark, who has been Braintree MP for nine years , stepped down as minister for civil society – a post he was only given in a recent cabinet reshuffle.
The freelance journalist has since been named on Newsnight as Alex Wickham, who writes for the Guido Fawkes blog and writes a column for The Sun.
Maldon MP John Wittingdale, who is also chairman of the Commons media select committee, said yesterday he thinks the new press standards body, Ipso should investigate whether the story was in the public interest.
Conservative MP Mark Pritchard said he will be contacting the police over the sting investigation and today the chairman of Ipso said a probe was of "urgent public concern".
Sir Alan Moses said subterfuge could only be used as a "last resort".
