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If the intrusion exposes corruption, fraud etc. then it should not only be allowed but encouraged.

If it exposes the greed of people like this who have already been well taken care of as a 'z' list royal then I have no problem with this type of reporting.

Lets see her survive on £260 a month like many in this country are currently having to do through no fault of their own.

No invite to the Christmas bash at Balmoral this year

Aniother sting, another bad taste left in the mouth.

If you've seen the video there is a point, shortly after accepting the money when Ms Ferguson appears to start crying and then does her utmost to make sure the 'businessman' involved understood that she was doing this without her ex-husbands approval.

And what have we learnt from this sting, that people who are desperately short of money will do things they would never of dreamed of in better times?

Is that news?

Its worth stressing once again that it would be illegal for the police to obtain information in this way.

But then the print media has always considered itself above the law of the land - just look at the lack of in-depth investigation into the phone-tapping scandal, nobody's got the stones to take on the big media moguls, they're just too powerful.

he best thing the British public can do is vote with their wallets and hope these scandal sheets disapear from our society forever.

I can't help but think there's more to this story than meets the eye, maybe I’m a little biased since I actually like Fergie.

I'm always reminded of the almost voyeuristic nature of the photographer who took pictures of the toe sucking incident and the voyeuristic attitude of the press toward Princess Diana before she died; let’s not forget Diana was killed while trying to escape press photographers.

Saying that I suppose you have to wonder at all the other "dodgy" activities by celebrities and important figures that would go unreported if it wasn't for "sting operations", not to mention criminal activities.

Seems to be a double edged sword when it comes to this sort of journalism.

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No way. Pray tell me how it is moral or legal to pretend to be someone you are not in order to get a typical sensationalist story?? In ordinary life if you or I were to do that it would viewed by the police as deception and we would be punished. The Duchess of York was being rather stupid but perhaps desperate people will do desperate things when cornered and didnt the News Of The World just know it.If I had my way I would shut all newspapers who strayed off the path of truth including stage managed stings.In the 21st century we dont need this sort of journalism,it belongs in the archives of the 20th century along with the owners of the papers.

People need to understand that the paparazzi are scum and the papers who buy there rubbish are just as bad. Neither care about by what means they obtain there information. It's quite disgusting but while people are stupid enough to by the papers, their owners are more than happy. As Harry Enfield's character Jose Arrogantio summed it up in one of his sketches "Kiss and tell girl, News of the World Whore".

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I was wondering what happens now to the $40k she walked off with!

We are a class divided society and any evidence of the wheelings and dealings of the higher class is to be welcomed. Note also that the upper classes (including the bureaucrats and politicians, never admit to wrong: it is always 'an error of judgment'.

What is your reaction to these allegations?

Yet another good reason for the Royal Family to be abolished and all Royal lands and property returned to their rightful owners, the State.


How have they affected your view of Prince Andrew and the Duchess?

Very little, I've always considered her to be a money grabbing waste of space and he's done nothing of any worth since leaving the military.


When are sting operations like this one acceptable?

Always, especially when it exposes the greed and corruption within the establishment.

The precise reason that Fergie was able to even discuss this proposal was due to her and her ex husband being high profile and in the media eye. Something about living and dying by the sword??

these newspapers are beyong the joke? does the word entrapment come to mind? they do anything to get headlines? never bothering about the damage they do to people's lives? and remember she done nothing illegal? but of course it.s damaging for someone in her position? pity she never got the £500000 that would of taught the news of world a lesson? but i doubt it they seem to have pot's of money at hand to write there sleaze? "gereatricgeorge"

This smacks of a set up. Action should be taken against the "News of the World".

But Fergie should also have known better - I mean who would really want to spend £500k to meet the Duke of York. But then Fergie never did understand money.

What is not clear about this and other stings by the media is whether the press had got wind from other sources of the target being guilty of similar behaviour in the past, or whether these were simply deliberate attempts to entrap. Also, how many of these stings have not produced the desired result of people incriminating themselves - can the press tell us how many of these operations they mount and perhaps also show us cases where they have been proved wrong? Only then can we comment on the nature and extent of the possible infringement of people's rights. As regards Sarah Ferguson, she has not actually done anything illegal - she simply offered an introduction for lobbyists, which is rather demeaning but happens all the time. The News of the World should therefore pay her every penny they promised her.

To me this story isn't newsworthy.

If a journalist is reporting on a serious issue that effects an industry or the UK as a whole, such a fraud etc, then that is fine.

High profile people are always under the spotlight. Many go to an awful lot of trouble to keep in the public eye. Therefore they should behave themselves.

The reporting is perfectly fair...and in this and similar cases, one hopes it will modify the behaviour of the person under scrutiny.

It's hardly different from some undercover traps shown on Watchdog. No need to draw a line because Fergie is a Duchess.

1. At 11:59am on 24 May 2010, presario wrote:

If the intrusion exposes corruption, fraud etc. then it should not only be allowed but encouraged.

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Agreed, if it *exposes* such activities. If, however, it *creates* them then no, it is not acceptable

Of course it's acceptable, although I'd argue that these things are more suitably conducted by the authorities than the puerile rag that is the News of the World.

Had the News of the World any reason to suppose that the Duchess was already behaving in this way, or was it tempting her to do so for the first time? In the former case its conduct may be considered commendable, in the latter inexusable. We should also consider whether any investigative methods are rightly open to the press but not the police, or vice versa. Status, wealth, and poverty do not come into it.

Last week it was Lord Triesman, this week-end its Fergie.
Who will it be next week-end?
These expose's are designed to sell papers, but it also causes a lot of damage in its wake. For example, England might lose out on hosting the World Cup.
How about some stories on what these journalists get up to, when they are trying to make out they are holier than thou ... Do they get up to anything sordid, themselves?

The Duchess of York has allegedly offered an undercover reporter access to Prince Andrew ,not only is it fair to report this its also a right,a serious lack of judgment,she was offering to corrupt,(not that it isnt already)the Royal Status of The Uk & Commonwealth,notice I didnt say Family,as Royalty has been a part of this country for hundreds of years,well before the present House came into being,you call it a sting! as if its more the Newspapers fault,no! it was her doing she was selling and named the price and terms of the deal!that was on the table,being in debt isnt an excuse!a reason maybe,but let me say that she more than most people,in this country has access,to money,that other people dont have,and lack of Business accumen,eg keeping track of her finances,is her responsibility.

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Well done News of the World. This is just the kind of news we, the lowly public MUST know about.Its bad enough that we have a bunch of thieving politicians amongst us, but now we have a failed (so called) royal on the take.As for high spender andy not knowing about this, do they think we are all stupid to believe such rubbish.Sarah ferguson has always been a brash & vulgar woman so its not really a surprise that she would stoop to such antics to prop up her brash & vulgar lifestyle.
This kind of behaviour once again raises the debate on the need & financial viability of the royals in general. Why do we need them when all they do is cost us a fortune every year of their lives & make us a laughing stock on the worlds stage with their weird lifestyles & affairs.We must be as dippy as they are to put up with it.
Its time they all got off their lazy backsides and got proper jobs like the rest of us in the real world, but who would employ any of them???

More to the point why should they NOT publish it? This is disgusting stuff of the lowest order.

Yet another example of getting one's snout in the trough, as we all know.

Frankly, if she is in financial trouble, then given the resources she's had, whose fault is that?

The News of the Worlds style of entrapment investigative journalism does nobody any favors. All they want to do is create outrageous stories and don't care about what they destroy in the process. The Duchess of York obviously isn't whiter than white but I think Hell would be too good a place for the newspapers staff.

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It amazes me that people still want to stick up for these people.
They all try and make out they are whiter than white.
MP's and expenses jumps to mind.
Catch anyone out by whatever means, then maybe the decent hard working tax payer in this country wouldn't have to pay so much.
If you play by the rules you have nothing to fear.

Storm in a teacup based on the sort of reporting you'd find in the gutter. This is all getting a bit ridiculous now. I'm still waiting for a 'sting' operation of this nature to be carried out against one of the media barons...don't suppose that'll happen any time soon - they are all presumably off limts to reporters - or a perfect model of humanity...I know which I believe...

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The big question is who approached who first? Was SF letting it be known that she could arrange meetings with Andrew in exchange for cash, or was it something she hadn't considered until she was approached? If it's the former, it's rather distasteful, but if it's the latter, then she's only done something most of us would probably have agreed to.

Certainly, if I was broke, and someone offered me half-a-million just for an introduction to my ex... then yes, I'd go for it too. Why not? That's how business is done in most of the world anyway.

Nevertheless, it's the 'agent provocateur' tactics of the journalists that leave the nastiest aftertaste.

If this was a genuine operation to bring about a criminal prosecution then I have absolutely no problem with it however this is yet more evidence of the gutter nature of our press. They will stop at nothing to get a story and for all intents and purposes this is entrapment. Those who have been caught (Ferguson, Hoon, etc) have had their credibility (limited that it is) destroyed and hopefully this will curtail their activities.

Of course it is right to report this, and if there were no legal grounds for it it would'nt have been shown.
Prince Andrew is a public servant and if someone is taking bribes to provide priority acess then it's a criminal offence.

As for Andrew knowing nothing about it, sounds incredible to me, but Fergie was always a law unto herself.

Can't say I blame her, because in a capitalist world she has something to sell. If the Royals choose to cut her off, she could, of course, reveal the REAL reason for her split with Andy - that would make an interesting read!

The News of the World and other tabloids are deluded if they think we care. These papers report shock and horror stories which at the end of the day merely damage the reputations for no gain.

Take the stories with footballers and the FA, thanks to the idiots at the papers the chances of England doing well or the bid for the world cup are damaged. No doubt to play into the hands of others who are probably no cleaner.

If they want shock and horror stories go and dig them out in Brasil or Spain where weakening their sides might just give us a slight hope of winning against them. As for Fergie, nobody cares so why not waste your time trying to fix up the Swedish Royal Family.

Mixed feelings and Sarah F has my sympathy. If Sarah F is seen as a victim in financial need, this could reflect badly on the Royal Family. I must say Sarah F was pretty unprofessional, was this something she had done before and to what extent was this entrappment of a desperate woman?

The straightforward answer to this is that undercover reporting should unearth existing stories. Occasionally, they create them, which is abhorrent. I dislike the media where they create news: for example a well known news paper ran a story based on one small report, which said salmon at a major retailer could be carcinogenic (ultimately not sure amounted to anything)...the next day, they reported the drop is salmon sales at the major retailer affected. Utterly lamentable...

Am growing increasingly resentful of media generated 'non-news'...

I wish this sting had been performed by a higher quality newspaper. The fact of where it was reported made it seem tacky. If it had been reported in the Times I'd have loved it.

Ferguson has always been a financial opportunist, lacking any skills of real value in the world she has made her way through the last decade or so by being the Delboy of the royal family.

Personally I'd be glad to see the monarchy abolished, but I see that to be as likely as people stopping buying garbage magazines talking about some over-hyped, unhealthily skinny, promiscuous girls. So many people are followers and will always need someone to look up to rather than trying to live their own lives.

If it is as an agent provocateur where the subjsct would not have committed the offence with out the lure by the reporter, the I would say that is wrong. Everyone has their price including the reporters. Who wouldnt jump at the chance of a legal half million? Companies do it all the time. what about all those gifts the UK prime minister / Queen gives and receives on State trips? A bit more than the less than £5 max gift we are expected deny ourselves at work.
Fergie got caught. But What did she actually do wrong??

The News of the World blatantly set her up, but Fergie should have known better. I blame both of them. The News of the World, like most newspapers for that matter, is not fit to be used as toilet paper.

Why is the News of the World video cut? The cutting of it does indeed make it look bad, but what have they left out? For this to have any validity as a news story they have to show the whole thing and there is no need at all for the sleezy voice over comments.

This could be news, but not the way it is presented by News of the World

I see no problem with any reporter going under cover to get a good story. I also see no problem with Fergie trying to get some very easy cash (after all she is just following in the Royal tradition of making VERY easy money by doing as little as posible and living of the backs of others).
My views on the royals are still the same as they ever were ... A bunch of out dated family of hypocrites!

Unless there is a law specifically prohibiting ex-prince's wives charging for arranging meetings with their ex-husbands what did she do wrong?

She was offering her personal services to, what she thought was a legitimate business interest. Why can't she charge that business for that?

Were they not happy with the price? Well, if you are unhappy about the price you either negotiate or go and find another service provider, right?

If anyone asked me to introduce him to Prince Andrew I would charge him much more (because he does not know me and I don't know him and it will take me a lot of work to find the right channel to approach him), so I guess that counts me out as her possible competition...

we live in a world in where everything has its price, all the c list celebs (ex boy bands, disgraced mps, the roayl family) should just publish price lists: £x for public speaking, £y for eating witchita grubs, z for trying to overthrow African dictatorships.

At least that way we could compile league tables like the premiership (the only market index to buck the recession, plus think of the tax that could be collected for libraries and school computers ekcetera

Ha, I have just found out that The News of the World is blocked by our work internet system as beinging "tasteless and offensive" - just about sums it up I think

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How would the journalists like it if we recorded there lives, and printed who had slept with the editors without the wives knowing.

Seriously, the press is out to destroy lives and family with the sole purpose to sell more papers. There is no public good in knowing what Fergie does, stupid or not.

People should have the right to a personal life, no matter who they are.

I just wished people would stop buying the papers and watching shows like Jeremy Kyle which promote such gutter news.

The Duchess of York was being rather stupid but perhaps desperate people will do desperate things when cornered and didnt the News Of The World just know it.

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Desperate?!

Oh, poor Fergie. What a rough life she's had. I'm sure she feels just as let down by life as any of the workers who found themselves jobless and homeless in the last two years.

Let her rot in prison (or the Tower).

So some sleazy reporter goes up to you (someone hard up but with known connections) and says "I will give you £500000 for an introduction. This would not involve you in anything criminal and you do need the money.

The question is not whether you should take the money, but whether this is a real story or a further attempt to smear someone.

The problem with all entrapment, including criminal activities, is whether the action would have been undertaken without the intervention of the press or police.

To be honest there is little or no public interest in this story, just as there wasn't any in the Lord Triesman story. It reflects badly on the press in this country who are using entrapment rather than investigative journalism to get exclusive stories.

This story just like the one with Higgins and the Dispatches programme about MP's proves just how different many things are behind the scenes. This also applies to the footballers, golfers and singers who have cheated recently on their wives.

The media and society generally likes to present a certain image of people when in reality they may be completely different and we respect and revere these people when we dont even know them. In reality every single human being is in everything for themselves, it is a dog eat dog world and the real world behind the scenes is far more corrupt than any media outlet portrays.

These stories are merely tips of an iceberg that forms the hidden underbelly of our society.

#27 "Frankly, if she is in financial trouble, then given the resources she's had, whose fault is that?"

What 'resources' are these? She's not on the civil list, her late father wasn't especially wealthy and she spends much of her time doing charity work. I once sat across from her on a BA flight- she travelled economy and with no one else apparently with her. Unlike most of the other minor Royals and far too many 'Celebs' Fergie has EARNED her own money through writing kids books and promoting weight watchers.

The only odd thing about this story is that anyone would pay £500,000 just to meet prince andrew. Andrew has very little real power.... when you look at what services convicted MP's like David Aitken or those three in the Lords were offering for a fraction of this sum it seems ludicrously high.

Look people, if you were broke, and someone got you half cut and offered you half a million in used crinklies if you would arrange a meeting with The Queen for them, would you tell them it was well outside the scope of your normal matchmaking activities, to say nothing of morally questionable to request such a thing, and suggest they put their money away ?

Or would you take the cash, offer to throw in a date with Tess Daly, and do a runner instead ?

I have always believed that todays news is only as good as tomorrows toilet paper. Maybe you no longer need to wait till tomorrow.

"31. At 12:30pm on 24 May 2010, Flor1Dave955 wrote:
It amazes me that people still want to stick up for these people.
They all try and make out they are whiter than white.
MP's and expenses jumps to mind.
Catch anyone out by whatever means, then maybe the decent hard working tax payer in this country wouldn't have to pay so much.
If you play by the rules you have nothing to fear."

How much was the 'decent hard working tax payer' (who in the UK is probably Polish not English anyway) defrauded by Fergie asking half a million for an introduction to Andrew? Hint... not one penny.

She deserves all the bad publicity she gets. I feel sorry for H. Chin-up shipmate, you're well out of that relationship.

1. At 11:59am on 24 May 2010, presario wrote:
If the intrusion exposes corruption, fraud etc. then it should not only be allowed but encouraged.

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You have to wonder how many people they are doing this to. Unless you set up the sting you have no way of knowing if a person will fall for it. Is the newspaper try to set up lots of people, the majority of which
don't fall it. Remember the newspaper will not publish anything that they think shows them in a bad light, or acting illegally, so you are only seeing the newspapers view.

Has Fergie done anything actually illegal ? Unlikely, the action is a clear case of entrapment which is usually not admissable in court. Her actions may however be immoral, but then many people in her position have done similarly unpleasant things. The press clearly knew she was in a financial mess, and sought to exploit her for their own story. Now do you still think the News of the World has the moral high ground ?

I can't help thinking that the real target was Prince Andrew.

To which I have one very telling thing to say:

I saw lots of Prince Andrew during the Falklands conflict.

I didn't see one single damned News of the World reporter though.

By now anyone in the public domain should expect this. The fact that so many famous people fall for it makes me wonder is this normal behaviour for them.
Has the Inland Revenue checked out this bank account, see it any previous sums were undeclared.

Very far indeed.

Anyone who thinks that money will not get you access to "celebrities" and lower-order members of th aristocracy is very naive.

Much as I dislike the royals, there is only one party at fault here and that is the News of the World. This sort of entrapment should be outlawed - as an earlier poster said, the police aren't allowed to deceive people like this - remember the Colin Stagg case. This really is gutter journalism - trying to make news rather than report it. It is high time newspapers were fined for this sort of conduct and the editor made to walk.

I wonder what someone might think they would get for their £500,000. I also wonder why they would think they might get it. I would suggest that this was a very worthwhile investigation and maybe it should go on a little further and a little deeper. Those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear as our previous political masters used to tell us. Curious to see how that applys when it is us looking up at "them" not "them" looking down at us. I suspect his is not going away.

Just imagine being in a pub, and your name is Bill.

Hello Bill, (hi). Are you the boss at Bodgit and Scarper Builders, (yep). I need a conservatory built, can you give me a price. .....Looks at plans.... (That will be £20,000). I don't need an invoice Bill. (Well I will knock off the Vat, say £17,500, ok). Fine. By the way Bill, I am from the News of the World and you are on camera.

Now how might Bill feel?

Last week it was the Mail on Sunday trying it's best to scupper the England World Cup bid through a sting operation.

This week it's the News of the World (curious name for a weekly paper best used for wrapping up your chips, or wiping your backside with) trying to scupper something much more serious - namely the promotion of UK industry.

Why do people buy this scum - and why does the law allow them to publish it?

Once again, only in the UK would this shooting of the nation in it's collective foot by alleged "news"papers be tollerated.

Very interesting

TRy another view of it

Do the Police conduct activties like this to catch criminals?
Undercover work, false identity, deception etc ?
Where does the weight of proof lie in such a situation?

Do we - as a society - accept this type of proceedure?

Is this a close parrallel?

Or - where does the line between bribery and business lie? Perhaps a lot closer than we like to think ;)

I really hope they are forced to give her the £500,000. This trickery is never justified

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Is the Duchess as part of the royal family above the law of the land or is she merely using her belief in the 'new' fair society ?

he HYS question should be:

How low can Duchess of York stoop?

I would be happier if the tabloids used there sting operation to help save the country money instead of doing things which may cost it. There are plenty of benefit cheats out there that need catching out. The amount they cost the country a year makes the MP expenses look like a drop in the ocean.

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I can't believe that she fell for such an obvious set-up. I'd like to see Rupert Murdoch as the subject of such a 'sting'; I'd pay money to watch that.

Such papers criticise the morals of others, when their own morals are way down in the gutter, whether it be the NOTW in this case or Daily Mail with Lord Triesman.

Do the ends always justify the means???

We get the press we deserve, if you don't like it don't buy it. EVER!!!

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Obviously there is a great need for undercover reporting whilst ever there are people who would sell there granny for money.I wonder if the Daily Telegraph would have uncovered so much under-handed exploitation of MP's expenses if they had interviewed each MP openly with notebook in hand and a badge on their lapel saying Daily Telegraph journalist.

It never ceases to amaze and amuse me how the press can so easily expose the sheer greed of those who would sell their grandmother for "cash in a brown envelope". Just when we thought that Fergie was a woman who had cleared her debts and built a new life for herself it turns out that she could fall for such an obvious scam to sell access to her ex-husband. It beggars belief and must seriously embarrass the Royal Family.

Was it a legitimate business sale or did she break laws? I've noticed that people do sell things in this world it seems.. :] Chin-up Fergy, we know your heart is in the right place, don't be so hard on yourself! And remember it's quite considerably just to do with how 'the machine' works - some tv watchers don't appear to kind of get that.

I think she was a bit of a "sitting duck", but obviously she lacks common sense.

Have you got a reason why this story shouldn't be reported?

I have no time for royalty, the landed gentry and its myriad hangers-on, nor have I any time for the British gutter press - to me, the actions of this so called investigative reporter show questionable ethics on his part, as well as being close to entrapment.

Some people have few scruples for a headline - and the gutter press is the worst possible example of journalism where any low trick or decit is practiced for a byline.

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When it comes to attaching opprobrium to this story, it should all go to the journalists and newspaper involved. This is journalism at its very worst. This is not a news story, but manufactured news, manufactured by the news paper in order to sell news papers.
How easy it is to pick on someone in the public eye, known to be morally weak and lacking in judgement, then make them an offer they cannot refuse!
No, the only news worthy bit of this sordid tale, is the depths some newspapers and so called journalists will go to create a story. To call them pond life would be to do a disservice to all those things that crawl in the mud.

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Good on her. It`s about time the Royals had some use.

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Wasnt it the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ who sent an undercover reporter into a police station and exposed some policemen/women being rascist.

Didnt that contribute to the weak politically correct police force we have today?.

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Fergie has never been the sharpest tool in the box but irrespective of that , this situation shows the lengths some people will go to, to make money. However what is even more ludicrous is that Prince Andrew should have a role of UK trade envoy. It exposes a fundamental flaw ,that a member of the UK royal family has a degree of expertise in promoting UK business abroad. Other than proximity to the Queen he has no right to represent the UK in any business matter. The Government should be charged with this role not a member of the Royal family. It should be Andrew that steps down from this ridiculous role and perhaps does something he is more equiped to do with his military background. I'm sure he would be welcome on the frontline in Helmand Province as support on the frontline, with his helicopter.

Gullible, and desperate for money. Has it ever occurred to this woman to get a job?

How can she be hard up?

What happened to the millions she made from her children's Helicopter stories and the rest of it....

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