Express and Star Newspapers were still using the services of a private investigator until 2010, the Leveson Inquiry heard today.

Nicole Patterson, head of legal at the group, was questioned over invoices from J.J. Services, a company run by Steve Whittamore.

She told inquiry counsel Robert Jay she did not know whether Whittamore, found guilty of obtaining and disclosing information under the Data Protection Act in 2005, was still used by her newspapers.

Jay said this was surprising, given the “cloud hanging over” the private investigator.

The documents shown in court mentioned celebrities including Charlotte Church, Davina McCall, and the late Jade Goody. Patterson said the invoices had been reviewed but it was “impossible to marry up a story with a source” in most cases.

They also showed a project under the name "Rothermere".

The inquiry heard that payments made to J.J. Services ranged from £176 to £2687. Patterson said the total amount spent on information services from 2000 to 2010 was £115,000, and payments for “basic computer searches for names and addresses” were “very small amounts for very little work”.

She added: "More often than not it was £75, £80, £100. It's very little money compared to our total spend."

Patterson told the inquiry that Express titles had used Whittamore about 65 times, and the Star four times.

Express Newspapers launched an internal investigation into phone-hacking and “blagging” in 2011. Patterson said she had seen “no evidence” to suggest phone-hacking had taken place.