FORMER East End MP George Galloway said he was offered “substantial sums of money” by the News of the World after the phone hacking scandal broke.

The politician, who served as the Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow from 2005 to 2010, was told by police his phone may have been hacked by a private investigator working for the newspaper.

Mr Galloway is taking legal action against the tabloid for breach of privacy.

Speaking on BBC One’s The Politics Show over the weekend, he said: “The police were exemplary in their conduct of my case.

“A very senior officer came to my then office in Parliament and told me that in the raid on Glenn Mulcaire’s premises, they had found evidence which suggested he had been hacking my telephone.

“I began a civil action for breach of privacy. I have a court date some months hence.

“The News of the World are busily offering me substantial sums of money.”

Despite praising the Metropolitan Police in their communication with him, Mr Galloway said questions needed to be answered about their general handling of the case.

“There seem to be questions about why they sat on evidence but did not pursue it,” he added.

Mr Galloway launched his legal action in September last year.

The newspaper then said it had no knowledge that the politician’s voicemail was hacked into.

The paper would not comment on whether money was offered to Mr Galloway, according to the BBC.

Other public figures including actress Sienna Miller and former Cabinet member Tessa Jowell have also launched legal action against the paper.