Sacked features editor sues News international

Senior News Corp figures such as the former Daily Telegraph editor Will Lewis may find themselves giving evidence on the company's handling of phone hacking as part of a legal case being brought by a former executive on The Sun.

Matt Nixson, the former features editor of the red-top, is suing members of News Corp's new Management & Standards Committee after he was sacked on the spot in July amid allegations of criminal conduct.

Mr Nixson, who formerly worked for the News of the World, has filed papers in the High Court naming Mr Lewis, along with the head of the MSC, Lord Grabiner and MSC members Simon Greenberg, a former PR man, and Jeffrey Palker, a company lawyer. He is claiming wrongful dismissal, stating that he has never engaged in phone hacking or any other illicit newsgathering activities.

He is accusing Rupert Murdoch's media company of breaching its contract by giving him no notice or right to appeal after he was summoned to a meeting with News International senior executive Richard Caseby and Derrick Crowley, the company's head of human resources at 7.30pm on 21 July. Mr Nixson, who was on a salary of £105,000, is seeking damages on the basis that he would have remained at News International for the rest of his career.

It is understood that police have told Mr Nixson he is not of interest to the investigation into allegations of various forms of criminality at News International.