By Isabel Roessler-Partridge

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Actress Leslie Ash has highlighted disturbing new revelations about the extent of phone hacking she and her family endured during her health crisis.

Speaking on a recent podcast ("How do you cope?", with John Robins), Ms Ash disclosed that not only was her own phone hacked, but criminals also targeted her teenage son. "My youngest son's phone had been hacked," Ash revealed, describing how her son, then just 14 or 15 years old, received a suspicious call from someone claiming to represent Madonna, attempting to obtain their private address.

The violations occurred during an already traumatic period when Ms Ash was hospitalised. She discovered that "phone calls being hacked when I was talking in the hospital to my kids, and to Lee." These deeply personal conversations during a medical crisis were illegally intercepted by those seeking to profit from her suffering.

Particularly troubling was the dismissive attitude from some in the media industry about press intrusion more generally. Ms Ash recalled Piers Morgan telling her: "oh, Leslie, you know, is in the public eye. She has to put up with these things... she can't suddenly complain about them."

Leslie's testimony demonstrates yet again how phone hacking wasn't just about celebrities – it devastated families, invaded the privacy of children, and violated people at their most vulnerable moments. No one should have to 'put up with these things.

These revelations underscore the urgent need for the second part of the Leveson Inquiry to be completed, ensuring proper investigation into criminality within media organisations. Hacked Off continues to campaign for victims' rights and genuine press accountability to prevent such abuses from happening again.