A public relations consultant has become the first person to be charged after an investigation into the share-tipping scandal at the Daily Mirror newspaper.

Tim Blackstone will appear in court next month to face charges of insider dealing, which he denies.

The charges relate to dealings with Murray Financial, an Edinburgh company which had employed Mr Blackstone as a PR consultant.

Three years ago it announced that it was launching a hostile takeover bid for the Leek United building society and the share price rose sharply.

At the time the company was twice mentioned in the Mirror's City Slickers financial column.

Summons 'a surprise'

There has been a long-running investigation into allegations that journalists at the Mirror bought shares in companies that were about to be tipped by in the column.

Once the shares were tipped, their prices rose, and those who had bought the shares in advance were able to cash in their stock and make a profit.

The journalists who wrote the column, James Hipwell and Anil Bhoyrul, were sacked after an internal inquiry.

The newspaper's editor, Piers Morgan, bought £20,000 of shares in Viglen Technology the day before it was tipped by the Slickers, but he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Mirror's board.

Porn movies

Some media reports have suggested that the charge is linked to the City Slickers scandal, but it is not clear whether the charges Mr Blackstone faces are indeed related to the Mirror column.

He is said to be very surprised to have received the summons.

Mr Blackstone starred in several porn movies before becoming a financial journalist and then a PR consultant.

His sister is the arts minister, Baroness Blackstone.