Sir Martin Sorrell told a court today how he had made a secret recording of the meeting at which he sacked his Italian "country manager".

The WPP chief executive said he had carried a recording device hidden in his pocket at this and two other meetings on the advice of Italian lawyers.

The first meeting was held in WPP's Milan office on January 9 last year when he sacked Marco Benatti, WPP's "country manager" in Italy.

Sir Martin said he also recorded meetings with one of Mr Benatti's allies, Marco Girelli, on the same day in Milan and also a week later in London.

The men were not told that they were being recorded at the meetings, the court heard. Sir Martin said that was not necessary under Italian law.

Under cross-examination today in the high court, where he is suing Mr Benatti for libel and invasion of privacy, Sir Martin was asked whether these were the only occasions he had made such recordings.

"It was not a practice," Sir Martin said. "We went to see our civil and criminal lawyers ... we were advised in situations of this kind, particularly in Italy, it was advisable to employ this approach. That's the approach we took under the advice of civil and criminal lawyers."

Asked by Mr Benatti's barrister, Andrew Caldecott QC, whether he had recorded meetings in other cases, Sir Martin replied: "We have used it only in relation to this."

Sir Martin said he had been provided with the recording device by his lawyers. Private investigators Kroll had also given advice ahead of the meetings, he said.

Sir Martin said that Daniela Weber, the WPP chief operating officer in Italy, who attended the January 9 meeting, was aware that recording equipment was being used on that occasion.

Since Sir Martin sacked Mr Benatti last year, the two men have become embroiled in a series of lawsuits.

The current trial relates to an internet blog and a "grossly offensive" emailed image of Sir Martin and Ms Weber for which the WPP boss says Mr Benatti and his lieutenant, Marco Tinelli, are responsible, claiming defamation and invasion of privacy.

Sir Martin has described the blogs, which first appeared in March last year and compared him to a mafia don, as "vengeful and vindictive".

Mr Benatti and Mr Tinelli deny any involvement in the creation or distribution of the blogs and image in question.

The trial continues.

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