Former News International legal manager Tom Crone advised the company about phone-hacking on "one occasion" prior to the 2006 arrest of News of the World (NoW) former royal editor Clive Goodman, it has emerged.

Crone's revelation was made yesterday (13 December) as he gave evidence to the Leveson Inquiry alongside former NoW lawyers Farrer & Co partner Julian Pike and former Harbottle & Lewis managing partner Lawrence Abramson.

In response to questions from counsel to the inquiry 39 Essex Street's Robert Jay QC, over whether he had advised News International or any of its employees on issues of phone hacking, Crone told the inquiry he had advised the company "on one occasion" prior to the arrests of Goodman and private investigator Glen Mulcaire in 2006 for intercepting mobile phone messages from the royal household, and on"several occassions" since then.

Crone also stated that he thought that News International's defence in the Goodman case that it was "one rogue reporter" to blame would "probably come back to bite" the company and that it was "erroneous from the outset".

The statements followed a testimony from Pike in which he defended the decision to have NoW victims' lawyers Mark Lewis of Taylor Hampton Solicitors and Mishcon de Reya media lawyer Charlotte Harris put under surveillance.

It emerged last month that the two lawyers had been followed during the past 18 months in a bid to prove they were sharing confidential information.

Pike said that the decision was a "perfectly legitimate exercise" although he acknowledged that it had "strayed beyond that remit" in light of the emergence of footage of Lewis' teenage daughter.

Commenting on the surveillance of Lewis and Harris, Crone also added to Pike's testimony that he had understood it was conducted by a freelance journalist- Derek Webb- rather than a private investigator.

Further revelations from yesterday's hearing included a statement from Abramson that he had told News International of around a dozen emails that would have shown the company in an "unfavourable light" if they had emerged in an employment tribunal as a result of Goodman's case.

He said that they "revealed quite an active involvement in Clive Goodman's prosecution. They showed-trying to influence the way the prosecution was being conducted."

Crone is currently appearing in front of the Leveson Inquiry again today (14 December).