A High Court judge has banned the publication of any photos connected to an iCloud account belonging to Pippa Middleton.

Lawyers representing the Duchess of Cambridge's sister took civil action against a "person or persons unknown" after thousands of her photographs were allegedly stolen by a hacker.

Barrister Adam Wolanski, who was also representing Miss Middleton's fiance James Matthews, said it was believed there had been a "genuine hack".

He argued the "flagrant" and "criminal" act had caused his Miss Middleton "considerable distress".

An estimated 3,000 of her photographs were allegedly taken - and British newspapers including The Sun and the Daily Mail claim they were offered the private pictures via WhatsApp.


Image: The 'stolen' photos may include images of the Duchess of Cambridge and her children

The Sun said they were approached by someone using a pseudonym who asked for £50,000 within 48 hours in exchange for access to the images.

Some of the photographs are said to include Prince William, her sister Kate, and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte - all of whom are currently on a royal tour of Canada.

Mr Wolanski said his legal team has been unable to identify any "defendants" in connection with the alleged hack.

On Saturday, police investigating the breach arrested Nathan Wyatt in Northamptonshire on suspicion of an offence under the Computer Misuse Act.

Image: Pippa Middleton has reportedly been a victim of a hack like the cyber attack which saw stars' nude photos leaked online Image: Actress Jennifer Lawrence and model Kate Upton were among those whose accounts were hacked in the 2014 attack on Apple's iCloud Image: Kate Upton Image: The other alleged celebrity victims reportedly included actress Kate Bosworth Image: Actress Vanessa Hudgens Image: Singer and actress Selena Gomez Image: Reality TV star Kim Kardashian Image: Actress Kaley Cuoco Image: Actress Lea Michele Image: TV presenter Cat Deeley Image: Model and actress Cara Delevingne Image: Actress Michelle Keegan Image: Singer Rihanna Image: Actress Hilary Duff Image: Model and actress Kelly Brook /

He has been bailed pending further inquiries, and also had legal representation at the High Court hearing.

The 35-year-old has been ordered to return to a south London police station in November.

Miss Middleton is due to marry Mr Matthews next year, with William and Kate describing them as a "wonderful couple".

Mr Matthews, a financier and hedge fund boss, proposed during a trip to the Lake District less than a year into their relationship.

In a separate incident two years ago, a host of celebrities - including actress Jennifer Lawrence and model Kate Upton - fell victim to a cyber attack on iCloud.