Gordon Ramsay's estranged father-in-law and his three children hacked emails from the celebrity chef's company 2,000 times, a court heard today.

Chris Hutcheson, 68, and his son Adam, 46, from Sevenoaks, and daughter Orlanda Butland, 45, are said to have carried out the conspiracy after Chris was sacked from a senior role at Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd.

The trio, along with Hutcheson's other son Chris, 37, are charged with conspiracy to access programmes and data held in any computer without authority.

They hacked the computers between October 2010 and March 2011, it is claimed.

Chris Snr had allegedly been having an affair with Sara Stewart, another employee, Westminster Magistrates' Court was told.

She claimed there was a breach of privacy after a photograph of her was sent on, it was claimed.

The four defendants then launched the hacking plot to find out whether Gordon Ramsay, 50, had sent that picture on, the court heard.

Dan Suter, prosecuting, told the court: "It is an International Justice and Organised Crime Division prosecution.

"It has been agreed this matter, if you are agreeable, should be sent to the Central Criminal Court."

Outlining the case, Mr Suter said: "It's a conspiracy to unlawfully access a computer system.

"It's a convoluted, voluminous case.

"The prosecution concerns the hacking of the computer system of Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd, and the email accounts of Gordon Ramsay Holding Ltd employees.

"At the time of the alleged conspiracy, Chris Hutcheson senior had been dismissed by Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd.

"It's a conspiracy to unlawfully access a computer system. It's a convoluted, voluminous case" - Dan Suter, prosecuting

"He had previously held a senior position with Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd.

"The prosecution would say, as a result of that dismissal, he was motivated to access unlawfully computer systems."

He continued: "And there was some civil litigation concerned with his dismissal.

"Consequently, Adam Hutcheson was also dismissed from Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd.

"The defendants are related.

"The main element of the evidence relies upon Google emails from the email accounts of Chris Hutcheson senior and Adam Hutcheson.

"There are short references to those emails.

"There's reference to cracking the passwords for the specific accounts.

"There is the particular reference to that email where it's discussed between Chris Hutcheson senior and Adam Hutcheson how to crack into specific email accounts of those employees at Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd."

District Judge Emma Arbuthnot asked: "What was the point of the alleged hacking?"

Mr Suter replied: "The Crown would say this was vindictive in terms of the civil litigation, and trying to access material with which they could undermine that civil litigation process."

There had been instructions from a firm of solicitors "in relation to a private investigation", the court heard.

Mr Suter explained: "Into an alleged affair by Chris Hutcheson senior and Sara Stewart, who was an employee.

"It was alleged by Sara Stewart there had been a breach of privacy in relation to a photograph that was taken.

"It was alleged that he had been sent that email in breach of an undertaking.

"As a result of the alleged breach of privacy, it is then that the defendants tried to access the system, to determine whether Gordon Ramsay had then sent that picture on even further in breach of the undertaking.

"They are obviously trying to determine the codes."

The prosecutor added: "Indeed, there is a document where they cracked codes, and passed between themselves a ten page list in relation to passwords.

"There is an expert instructed by Gordon Ramsay who accessed all the log files when Mr Ramsay realised he had been hacked.

"They also disclosed the Internet protocol address. The IP addresses for the defendants have been determined through the civil litigation papers.

"And a Met Police expert has reviewed those log files, and found almost 2,000 unauthorised entries into the accounts of Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd."

The judge asked: "By all of these four defendants?"

He confirmed it allegedly involved all four.

Chris Hutcheson of Battersea, south west London, Orlanda his daughter, also of Battersea, Adam, his son of Wrotham Heath, Sevenoaks, and Chris junior, also his son of Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire were granted unconditional bail.

They will appear at the Old Bailey on April 11.