Gascoigne: 'Phone hacking drove me to drink'

Former England footballer Paul Gascoigne has claimed in court that phone hacking by Mirror Group Newspapers drove him to alcoholism.

The 47-year-old, who was giving evidence at the High Court today, stated that he changed his mobile phone number five times within a month because of hacking fears.

The former Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder also revealed that he considered taking his own life after checking into the Priory clinic in October 2000.

"It's just horrendous," <em>The Guardian</em> quotes Gascoigne as saying. "And people can't understand why I became an alcoholic. I felt that I could not cope with the media attention anymore and I seriously . . .