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Dismissed `Daily Mirror' editor asks for a huge payout

Piers Morgan is seeking £1 million (US$1.77 million) in compensation for the abrupt termination of his contract as editor of the Daily Mirror in London after publishing hoax pictures of British soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners.

Morgan, who was marched out of the Mirror offices late on Friday, is demanding that his two-year contract be honored in full after nearly nine years as editor of the tabloid.

The £1 million is understood to include his annual salary of £350,000, bonuses and pension entitlement over two years, plus any share options.

Morgan has refused to apologize for the pictures, which were denounced as fake last week by government and military sources, and was let go by Sly Bailey, the chief executive of the paper's owner, Trinity Mirror.

On Saturday the paper apologized for publishing the photographs with a black-ringed front page saying: "Sorry ... we were hoaxed."

It also pledged to donate to charity what it has earned from selling the photos to press groups.

There has been no apology for the story itself, alleging abuse by British soldiers of Iraqis. Newspaper executives believe the details of this behavior should still be investigated by the military authorities.

Trinity Mirror refused to comment on the demand for compensation yesterday. A spokesman said: "It's a private matter between the individual and the company."

One source close to the company said its executives would "do all they can to help the British government in its investigation".

In doing so, the company is expected to release the names of the soldiers behind the story -- dubbed A and B -- after deciding that no "duty of care" toward them remained for what it called a "calculated and malicious hoax."
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