A judge at London's Old Bailey has ruled that former News of the World editor Andy Coulson should face a jury in June over charges of conspiring to pay police officers for telephone directories of the Royal household.

The former editor, who later became Prime Minister David Cameron's director of communications, was not in court to hear the ruling. He is believed to be serving a period of home detention after being released on parole from his 18 month prison sentence for phone hacking. As well as this trial Coulson also faces legal proceedings in Scotland after being charged with perjury over testimony he gave at the trial of left-wing politician and former MSP Tommy Sheridan.

Also appearing in June will be the ex-Royal editor of the News of the World Clive Goodman.

Additionally as well as this case the Spring will also see the trial of Coulson's former deputy editor at the News of the World, Neil Wallis, who is charged with conspiracy to illegally intercept voicemail communications. At a hearing last winter his co-defendant, the ex-features editor of the now defunct tabloid, Jules Stenson, pleaded guilty to the same offence making him the eighth News of the World journalist to admit to phone hacking.

Coulson, Wallis and Goodman all plead not guilty to the charges against them.