SKY News chiefs have been cleared of breaching the broadcasting code after a reporter hacked into the email of convicted fraudsters John and Anne Darwin.

The pair made headlines after concocting a plot which involved John Darwin faking his own death in a canoeing accident while Anne Darwin cashed in insurance and pension policies worth around £250,000, before the pair reunited in Panama.

Sky News announced last April that it had authorised one of its reporters, Gerard Tubb, to access the email of individuals suspected of criminal activity.

Ofcom said neither Mr or Mrs Darwin, both of whom have been released from prison, had complained but the regulator had a general duty to investigate possible infringements of privacy and especially in the light of public concern about unauthorised accessing of voicemail and emails by journalists.

It said the exceptional circumstances of this case outweighed Mr and Mrs Darwin's expectation of privacy.

Ofcom said the company's conduct was at the boundaries of what was appropriate but was warranted in the particular circumstances of this case.

The Darwins were convicted in 2008 after a court heard they deceived police, a coroner, financial institutions and their sons.

Their crimes came to light after John Darwin flew back to the UK in 2007 apparently after a change in visa laws in Panama.