Kate Middleton Targeted By Police Officer Selling Tip-Offs To The Sun

Kate Middleton is one of a series of high profile names targeted by a former Metropolitan Police officer, who sold tip-offs to the Sun

Kate Middleton has been revealed as one of a series of high profile names targeted by a former-Metropolitan Police office, who sold tip-offs to The Sun.

Paul Flattley, 30, was paid a total of £7,600 for the work, which included arranging for colleagues to visit the Duchess of Cambridge's home after it was rumoured Prince William was about to propose.

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As part of the work, the former-PC investigated whether extra police officers had been stationed outside Kate Middleton's home, after a tip-off that the Prince was about to propose.

He said 'an extra old bill' could be a clear sign that the news was imminent.

Police say Flattley 'developed an eye for celebrity stories' as he took on the work between 2008-2011, and gave 19 tip-offs that lead to coverage appearing in the publication.

Aside from Kate Middleton, he also targeted royal Zara Phillips, providing information which led to a story - titled 'Zara Bag Blag' - about her handbag being stolen from her car.

Other tip-offs involved former-footballer Paul Gascoigne being arrested under the mental health act, and pop star Mika's sister falling from a window.

Flattley pleaded guilty to 20 offences in March, and was jailed for two years, but details of his sentence only emerged earlier today, after a reporting ban was lifted.

This comes after charges were dropped against the Sun's former defence editor, Virginia Wheeler, who was the journalist accused of paying him.

Investigating officer Ch Supt Gordon Briggs, said: 'Paul Flattley did not come on duty to serve the public, he came on duty to exploit them. He deliberately leaked information on 39 occasions.'

Judge Mr Justice Fulford told him his actions would have a 'corrosive effect on public trust and confidence' and that he was 'simply motivated by personal profit'.

Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton on holiday in Kenya in 2010, and the pair announced their engagement, watched by the world's media, in a press conference at Buckingham Palace later that year.

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