The News of the World was rightly condemned for its use of phone-hacking, and I had no hesitation in joining the attack on scandalous practices which tainted the image of British journalism.

But editorials in The Northern Echo at the time also acknowledged the fact that the News of the World was responsible for some outstanding examples of investigative journalism.

The exposure of the betting scam which led to the jailing of three former Pakistan cricketers today is a case in point.

It is an ironic truth that Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, and Mohammad Amir would not have been shown to be crooked without the brilliant journalism of a now defunct newspaper.

We should applaud the fact that the cheats have been rooted out and that a strong message has been sent by the courts that corruption will not be tolerated.

There should be little doubt that the scam was not restricted to Butt, Asif and Amir. But at least those tempted to cheat now know that they face time behind bars if they are caught.

The News of the World went too far in the way it obtained exclusive stories. Some of the paper's staff invaded the privacy of innocent people, and betrayed the privileges which come with being a journalist.

But the Pakistan cricket scandal underlines the need for legitimate investigative journalism. Without it, the guilty would often get away scot free.