After a chance meeting with a former News of the World executive who told him his phone had been hacked, Hugh Grant couldn't resist going back to him – with a hidden tape recorder – to find out if there was more to the story.

The transcripts and audio

1. The police

Him [Paul McMullan] So the police don't particularly want to investigate.
Me But do you think they're going to have to now?
Him I mean – 20 per cent of the Met has taken backhanders from tabloid hacks. So why would they want to open up that can of worms? . . . And what's wrong with that, anyway? It doesn't hurt anyone particularly. I mean, it could hurt someone's career – but isn't that the dance with the devil you have to play?
Me Well, I suppose the fact that they're dragging their feet while investigating a mass of phone-hacking – which is a crime – some people would think is a bit depressing about the police.
Him Maybe. But then – should it be a crime? I mean, scanning never used to be a crime.
[interjection from friend]
Why should it be? You're transmitting your thoughts and your voice over the airwaves. How can you not expect someone to just stick an aerial up and listen in?

2. Scanners

Him Do you think it's right the only person with a decent digital scanner these days is the government? Whereas 20 years ago we all had a go? Are you comfortable that the only people who can listen in to you now are – is it MI5 or MI6?
Me I'd rather no one listened in, to be honest. And I might not be alone there. You probably wouldn't want people listening to your conversations.
Him I'm not interesting enough for anyone to want to listen in.
Me Ah . . .
[interjection from friend]
I think that was one of the questions asked last week at one of the parliamentary committees. They asked Yates [John Yates, acting deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police] if it was true that he thought that the NoW had been hacking the phones of friends and family of those girls who were murdered . . . the Soham murder and the Milly girl [Milly Dowler].
Him Yeah. Yeah. It's more than likely. Yeah . . . It was quite routine. Yeah – friends and family is something that's not as easy to justify as the other things.
Me But celebrities themselves you would justify because they're rich?
Him Yeah. I mean, if you don't like it, you've just got to get off the stage. It'll do wonders.
Me Not do your job? Do a different job? So I should have given up acting?

3. The tapes

Him There are people who actually have tapes and transcripts they did for Andy Coulson.
Me And where are these tapes and transcripts?
[Him: In their drawers, and their offices –]
Me Do you think they've been destroyed?
Him No, I'm sure they're saving them till they retire.

Read the full transcript here