I remember a podcast that was about #phone/hackgate. The Mirror seeing what was happening at News International invited the Met into their building, gave them an office and all the resources they needed. For about 6 months they threw every single cub reporter, stringer, low level confidential source like the odd prison guard and health inspector at them. Burying them under piles and piles of trivia, which got a couple of convictions and ruined the odd life and career. Then when the Met said right thanks for all that we want to see the editors and your senior reporters now, they shut up, threw the Met out and sent their lawyers in.
They also told the Met that the bad apples used to buy a burner phone, do some bad journalism, then throw it in the Thames just outside their front door, so the Met got the dive team out for a week. Found nothing.
c***s.