Prime Minister David Cameron has apologised for appointing Andy Coulson as his director of communications.

Speaking following the conviction of the former News of the World editor for conspiring to hack phones between 2000 and 2006, Cameron said:

“I am extremely sorry I employed him. It was the wrong decision”

Cameron apologised for the scandal and took “full responsibility” for bringing Coulson into his team in 2010, but said that the spin doctor assured him that he was unaware of any phone hacking by his team while he was editor of News of the World.

He continued:

“I gave someone a second chance and it turned out to be a bad decision.”

Labour leader Ed Miliband called Coulson’s appointment a “serious error of judgement”