Four Sun journalists have been cleared of paying public officials for stories. Photo: BBC

Ex-chief reporter John Kay, 71, and former royal editor Duncan Larcombe, 39, were cleared of wrongdoing over their contact with two military sources following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Former deputy editors Fergus Shanahan, 60, and Geoff Webster, 55, were also found not guilty over allegations that they signed off payments.

They had faced charges as part of police probe Operation Elveden.

Mr Kay, Mr Shanahan and Mr Webster were charged with conspiring with Ministry of Defence official Bettina Jordan-Barber to commit misconduct in a public office between 2004 and 2012.

Mr Webster also faced a second count of plotting misconduct with a serving officer in the armed forces in November 2010.

Mr Larcombe was charged with aiding and abetting former colour sergeant John Hardy, 44, to commit misconduct in a public office.

Mr Hardy, a career soldier with the Scots Guard, was alleged to have given information to the Sun's former royal editor Duncan Larcombe on 34 occasions.

The retired officer was found not guilty of misconduct in a public office while his wife Claire, 41, who was accused of collecting tip-off fees for her husband, was cleared of aiding and abetting him.