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Victims of hacking and press intrusion in Britain said Thursday they felt "betrayed" by Prime Minister David Cameron after he warned against introducing legislation to underpin regulation of newspapers.

The Hacked Off campaign had welcomed proposals from senior judge Brian Leveson that Britain's press should be overseen by an independent self-regulatory body given teeth through legislation.

But their members said they had been left feeling let down after Cameron said he had "serious concerns" about introducing laws governing the press, as Leveson proposed, following a year-long inquiry.

Jane Winter, of British Irish Rights Watch, whose emails had been hacked into, said Cameron had pledged to implement the Leveson recommendations unless they were "bonkers".

"I think he's gone back on his word and I feel betrayed," she said at a press conference with other Hacked Off members.

Ed Blum, a film director whose mobile phone was hacked by the News of the World, said Cameron had "ripped out the heart and soul" of Leveson's report.

"He's let down the victims of press abuse."

The head of Hacked Off, journalism professor Brian Cathcart, said he was concerned that Cameron's reaction indicated he was leaning towards introducing self-regulation proposals put forward by newspapers themselves.

"Despite their years of abuses and outrageous conduct, it seems that the prime minister still trusts the editors and proprietors to behave themselves. It seems that the prime minister wants self-regulation all over again," he said.

Cameron set up the Leveson Inquiry in July 2011 amid public anger over reports that the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World had hacked the phone of teenager Milly Dowler, who was later found dead. Murdoch closed the Sunday tabloid.

Original post:
Press intrusion victims feel 'betrayed' by British PM