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  1. Media Law
September 16, 2010

Crouch claims Sun privacy breach over pregnancy story

By Dominic Ponsford

England footballer Peter Crouch has accused journalists from The Sun of intruding on his privacy by revealing that his girlfriend was pregnant before members of their family were told.

The Sun broke the story yesterday in advance of an official announcement.

According to Abbey Clancy “intrusive Sun reporters” followed her to a private clinic and then recorded a private conversation in a restaurant.

Press Gazette understands that The Sun received a tip that Clancy was going to the clinic, and then overheard her talking loudly in a restaurant that she had just had her 12-week pregancy scan and that everything appeared to be ok.

Crouch told the Daily Mirror said: “Abbey told me on 25 July that she was pregnant but we agreed to keep it private until she was ready to make an announcement.

“There were even some members of our families who were still unaware that Abbey is pregnant until today’s revelations in the Sun.”

Crouch’s solicitor Graham Shear said: “Peter Crouch today condemned intrusive Sun reporters who followed his girlfriend to a private clinic and eavesdropped and apparently recorded her private conversation in a restaurant.

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“The Sun published a story stating that Abbey is pregnant, depriving her of the opportunity to make this public in her own time and in her own way.”

Last month the News of the World defied the current wave of litigation by English footballers who have brought out injunctions to curb revelations about their love lives when it reported that Crouch had cheated on his fiance by seeing a prostitute whilst on a stag weekend.

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