THE trial of David Cameron’s former spin doctor Andy Coulson continued yesterday as the court was told how the one-time News of the World editor knew that the source of voicemail messages was from phone hacking.

Mr Coulson is back in court after being accused of lying under oath in 2010, during the perjury trial of former socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan.

News of the World chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck told Edinburgh High Court how Mr Coulson knew that the paper’s coverage of the Milly Dowler murder used hacked messages.

According to Mr Thurlbeck, the editor was “not initially” aware that News of the World private investigator Glenn Mulcaire was on the case.

He added that Mr Coulson only knew of Mr Mulcaire’s involvement “when Glenn came back with voicemails.”

When asked by prosecutors whether Mr Coulson ordered the recordings be taken to the police, Mr Thurlbeck said: “The short answer is no.

“I explained [to Mr Coulson] there was a source, a police source, who was revealing to us, via Glenn, the existence of these voicemails and content of them.

“I didn’t have to explain who Glenn was.”

Asked whether the decision not to go to the police was “ultimately made by Andy Coulson,” Mr Thurlbeck replied “yes.”

He added: “He trusted the source because he trusted me.”

The Prime Minister’s former director of communications previously stated he did not know of the involvement of News of the World reporters with Mr Mulcaire until the investigator’s arrest in 2006.