Howard Hill, Richard Forrest and Lee Stewart had all pleaded guilty last month to illegally obtaining confidential information on West Ham directors and officials from the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC).

West Ham's Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who were also bidding to move into the Olympic Stadium commissioned accountancy firm PKF to examine the bidding process.

Tottenham strongly deny any claims of spying and investigators told the club they did not believe they had been acting illegally.

Among the information that investigators managed to obtain was the mobile telephone records of Karren Brady, West Ham's vice-chairman and star of the BBC Television programme, The Apprentice. 

West Ham United vice-chairman and BBC TV Apprentice star Karren Brady was among those targeted by investigators during the bid process for the London 2012 Olympic Stadium ©WireImage via Getty Images

Hill, 59, was fined £100,000 ($163,000/€120,000) as the main investigator, with Judge McCreath saying: "You had full control over this project.

"You engaged others to do your dirty work for you."

Stewart, 42, was fined £13,250 ($21,700/€15,850).

The judge said his involvement was limited to two of the victims.

Forrest, 31, was fined £10,000 ($16,500/€12,000).

The Judge said, like Stewart, he had acted on Hill's instructions.

As well as Brady, victims included West Ham's joint-chairman David Sullivan and communications chief Ian Tomkins, along with a number of officials working for the Olympic Park Legacy Company, who were overseeing who would take over the Stadium, and the Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales.

Tottenham lost out to West Ham in the race to become the OPLC's first choice to move into the Stadium after the Olympics.

The decision was later scrapped and a new bidding process opened, which West Ham also won after Tottenham did not take part. 

West Ham are due to move into the Sadium for the start of the 2016-2017 season.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
November 2013: Trio plead guilty in London 2012 Olympic Stadium spy case
November 2012: Trio charged over Olympic Stadium spy allegations
January 2012: Police arrest fourth person in connection with London 2012 Olympic Stadium
January 2012: Police arrest third person in connection with London 2012 Olympic Stadium
November 2011: Second arrest in London 2012 Olympic Stadium row