The chairman of Trinity Mirror has backed Mirror editor Piers Morgan in the row over share tipping at the newspaper.

Mr Morgan bought �20,000 of shares in Viglen Technology the day before his paper's City column tipped them.

He insisted he did not know about the story and he has been cleared by an internal inquiry.

But the two journalists who wrote the City Slickers page were sacked last week over their share dealing activities.

"As far as the editor was concerned, there was one incident where he bought the day before the shares were tipped," Trinity Mirror chairman Sir Victor Blank told BBC One's Breakfast With Frost.

Mirror editor Piers Morgan: Cleared of wrongdoing

"But we were satisfied, on the basis of the evidence we had - including the evidence of the two financial journalists who wrote the article - that he did not know that that share was going to be tipped the following day.

"There was not any improper behaviour by our editor," he added. "I have no problem at all with Piers Morgan's conduct."

However, he said, it was found that the journalists, James Hipwell and Anil Bhoyrul, had been indulging in improper practices.

"We weren't going to have it and they have gone," said Sir Victor.

The stockbroker who handled the deal for Mr Morgan, Anthony Laiker of Kyte Securities, has left his post in what his company called a "mutually agreed" move.

Sir Victor also denied allegations in one Sunday newspaper that Mr Morgan's Viglen shares were not registered in his own name.

But there is continuing pressure on Mr Morgan to resign.

A former editor of the Mirror, David Banks, said: "His stockbroker has been fired, however blameless that deal was. His two columnists have been fired.

Dismissal 'unfair'

"At the end of the day the Mirror editor knows that he carries the can. He knows he can't allow the title to be blemished."

And Stephen Glover, media writer for the Spectator magazine, agrees that Mr Morgan's position is still precarious.

"His survival will depend on what the rest of the media makes of it," he said. "It's going to be very difficult for Piers Morgan to prove he didn't know about the story."

Meanwhile, Anil Bhoyrul told the BBC he had been unfairly dismissed and his lawyer had already launched proceedings.

"We were doing nothing wrong. The company needed to find some scapegoats and they've chosen us," he said.

"I've tipped around 2,000 companies in the column, I've had shares in maybe four or five of those companies and I'm always very open about those shares."

Tape recordings

Although Trinity Mirror has cleared Mr Morgan of any wrongdoing, the deal is still under investigation by both the Stock Exchange and the Press Complaints Commission.

The Times newspaper reported on Saturday that tape recordings of conversations betwen Mr Morgan and his broker had been handed to the Department of Trade and Industry by Stock Exchange investigators.

The paper said a decision would be taken by the DTI on whether to call in the Crown Prosecution Service.