Kingston University has published an online archive of the Leveson Inquiry, six years after the landmark probe subjected Fleet Street to the glare of a public, judge-led inquiry.

Launched by former Prime Minister David Cameron in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal, the inquiry led by judge Sir Brian Leveson delved into the practices and ethics of the press.

The new online archive, called Discover Leveson, features a range of witness statements, video testimonies and transcripts and hundreds of biographies and short essay guides.

The material was already available in the National Archives, but it has been rendered easier to navigate by a new search function and explanatory essay guides.

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Sir Brian Leveson, now Head of Criminal Justice in England and Wales, endorsed the project, saying: “the archive serves as a resource for all those interested in an analysis of the behaviour of the press and the various attempts at its regulation”.

He added: “I wholeheartedly support this project in seeking to bring the archive to as wide a readership as possible.”

Professor of journalism at Kingston University Brian Cathcart played a leading role in the creation of the archive and says the lessons of the Leveson Inquiry are more relevant than ever.

He said: “It's easy to forget how big the Leveson Inquiry was. It heard from prime ministers, newspaper proprietors and editors, police chiefs, lawyers, working journalists, victims of press abuse.

“This is a real goldmine of insights into journalism and it covers far more ground than most people imagine.

“If this material just rests on a shelf, we are never going to learn from it and its efforts will be wasted.”

You can visit the archive on www.discoverleveson.com.