'Met probing claim the Sun hacked union boss phone'

Scotland Yard is said to be examining claims that a second newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch may have used phone hacking to obtain stories.

Andy Gilchrist, the former leader of the Fire Brigades' Union, is claiming journalists from the Sun intercepted his phone messages during a fire brigade pay dispute in 2002 and 2003.

He has asked police to investigate if his phone details appeared on a list of numbers compiled by Glenn Mulcaire, the private eye hired by the News of the World and jailed for hacking in 2007.

His claims are the first to involve the Sun, daily stablemate of the News International-owned News of the World. He told the Independent he suspected the Sun used information from hacking to run negative stories about him, including that he had an illicit affair with ex-firewoman Tracey Holland, 31, at union conferences. The story was based on an interview with Ms Holland and appeared during a pay dispute that led to a strike.

Mr Gilchrist said : "I have well-founded suspicions information was obtained from my voicemails that led to stories in the Sun about my life."

He said police are now investigating. The Met refused to comment.

At the time the Sun was edited by Rebekah Wade, now Brooks, currently the chief executive leading News International's defence against the hacking allegations. The firm said there was no substance to Mr Gilchrist's claims.

The scandal has led to the resignation of Andy Coulson, former editor of the NOTW, as director of communications at No10 and the sacking of Ian Edmondson, a senior editor at the newspaper.