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Peers voted to resurrect a new Leveson Inquiry tonight despite warnings it could harm the freedom of the Press.

The House of Lords defeated the government as it backed calls for a so-called 'Leveson 2' by 252 votes to 213.

The vote pitches peers into conflict with the MPs just days after the House of Commons blocked plans for a second inquiry.

The latest plan by crossbench peer Baroness Hollins will now be sent for approval by MPs, who are widely expected to block it.

Baroness Hollins said there must be a further probe into "criminality, corruption and abuse" beyond the phone hacking that was the focus of Sir Brian Leveson's original probe.

Moving her amendment to the Data Protection Bill, she said: "In any other industry the press would be demanding an inquiry and yet their opposition is uniform."

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Baroness Hollins' amendment would force the government to set up an inquiry into claims of "data protection breaches" by the media within three months of the Bill passing.

She was backed by Labour and former civil service chief Lord Kerslake, who led an inquiry into the Manchester terror attack.

Lord Kerslake said: "People talked about being hounded and bombarded and having to force their way through scrums of reporters at hospitals who wouldn't take no for an answer."

But former TV boss and Tory peer Lord Grade said: "I suspect what lies behind this amendment is yet another attempt to exercise some statutory controls or levers over our free media.

"Any inquiry is bound to produce recommendations with the risk to free speech of some statutory device, overt or covert, buried in the recommendations."

The amendment was opposed by some Crossbench peers and all but three Tories, including former party chair Baroness Warsi.

Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman insisted a second inquiry was not needed.

He said: "Almost £50 million of public money has already been spent on investigating phone-hacking.

"Establishing a further public inquiry requiring great time and expense is not a proportionate solution to allegations that have already been the subject of extensive police investigations or ongoing investigations by the Information Commissioner's Office.

"The Government's position that there should be no Leveson 2 inquiry was set out clearly in the manifesto.

"We would urge peers to respect the vote of the elected House of Commons last week and reject this amendment."