Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has been criticised for labelling victims of phone hacking "scumbag celebrities" after they met the British Prime Minister David Cameron, during the Conservative party conference.
On Saturday night Murdoch posted a comment on Twitter to criticise the talks in Birmingham between the prime minister and members of the Hacked Off campaign, who include singer Charlotte Church, actor Hugh Grant and former TV presenter Jacqui Hames.
The comment read: "Told UK's Cameron receiving scumbag celebrities pushing for even more privacy laws. Trust the toffs! Transparency under attack. Bad."
Murdoch's tweet sparked anger, with Mr Murdoch being repeatedly asked to apologise for the remarks and remove the tweets.
Former TV presenter Jacqui Hames tweeted in reply: "I've been called worse, but admittedly not by CEO of large multinational corp."
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Murdoch tweeted back: "Not referring to these ladies."
Former Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris joined the chorus of criticism against Mr Murdoch, tweeting: "By "scumbag celebs" do u mean the WPC u put under surveillance, the teen girl yr papers perved over, or the actor u hacked?"
A Twitter user wrote: "Scumbags"? And your journalists and executives are what?".
Mr Murdoch replied: "They don't get arrested for indecency on major LA highways! Or abandon love child.
