A private investigator has lost his legal battle to conceal the identity of journalists who instructed him to hack into mobile phone messages.

Sutton’s Glenn Mulcaire, 41, is at the centre of the News of The World phone hacking scandal and was jailed in January 2007 for unlawfully intercepting voicemail messages received by royal aides.

He appealed to try to avoid being forced to answer questions in civil proceedings that could incriminate him.

However, this morning, five judges unanimously dismissed his appeal to the Supreme Court.

Mr Mulcaire, a former striker at AFC Wimbledon, failed to persuade them that he should be allowed to rely on privilege against self-incrimination in civil litigation at the High Court.

Since last summer it was claimed reporters or private investigators hacked into the mobile phone messages of missing school girl Milly Dowler, the News of The World was closed down and over 20 people arrested in a Scotland Yard investigation and the Leveson Inquiry began.