Piers Morgan has been sacked as editor of the Daily Mirror following the row over faked photographs.

The newspaper has also issued an "unreserved apology for the damage done to the reputation of the army following the publication of images that purported to show Iraqi prisoners being abused by British troops.

However, the paper said it had printed the photos in good faith, believing they were genuine.

The move is likely to ease the pressure on ministers, who have been facing tough questions about how they dealt with allegations of abuse.

However, some soldiers remain under investigation following reports of brutality.

Morgan's resignation came after ministers said the images were "categorically" not taken in Iraq.

A statement from the paper, released on Friday evening, said: "The Daily Mirror published in good faith photographs which it absolutely believed were genuine images of British soldiers abusing an Iraqi prisoner.

"However there is now sufficient evidence to suggest that these pictures are fakes and that the Daily Mirror has been the subject of a calculated and malicious hoax.

"The Daily Mirror therefore apologises unreservedly for publishing the pictures and deeply regrets the reputational damage done to the [Queen's Lancashire Regiment] and the army in Iraq."

The paper added that it would "continue to cooperate fully with the investigation" into claims of abuse.

And the statement concluded that the board of Trinity Mirror "has decided that it would be inappropriate for Piers Morgan to continue in his role as editor of the Daily Mirror and he will therefore be stepping down with immediate effect".

Speaking in the Commons on Thursday, armed forces minister Adam Ingram had said that both military and independent investigators had concluded they were "categorically" not taken in Iraq.

"The truck in which the photographs were taken was never in Iraq," he told MPs.

Failure to spot the "hoax" has cost Morgan his job, and those involved in taking the photographs have also been warned that they may have committed criminal offences under military law.