(VIa inform's Blog)

The phone hacking trial against Mirror Group Newspapers, which publishes the Daily Mirror, the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, began today.

The trial features “eight representative cases” and will last two weeks.  It will “determine the extent of the phone-hacking and the amount of damages due,” according to the Press Gazette.

The eight plaintiffs in court suing Mirror Group Newspapers are: Alan Yentob and Robert Ashworth, both of whom work in TV, athlete Paul Gascoigne, actors Sadie Frost, Lucy Taggart, Shane Richie and Shobna Gulati, and flight attendant Lauren Alcorn.

The Mirror already settled five hacking lawsuits in January.

The Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror and Sunday People all published print apologies to phone hacking victims in February.