A Sun journalist acquitted after the collapse of multiple reporters' trials has called for the UK's chief prosecutor to resign over the cases' "failure".

Vince Soodin, who was found not guilty of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public offence yesterday, called the Operation Elveden investigation into corrupt payments by journalists to public officials a "witch-hunt".

The Greenwich 40-year-old, who spent 989 days on police and court bail, said the collapse of trials of nine out of 12 journalists and also the decision not to charge former MP Lord Janner with child sex abuse in light of his dementia had "destroyed confidence" in the Crown Prosecution Service under Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said: "There is only one proper course of action now. She must resign."

Mr Soodin added the cases could have "chilling consequences" for journalism.

He said: "The vindictive Operation Elveden has been a failure. It has netted the conviction of one journalist ... but also, sadly, of many public officials who exposed information their bosses did not want to get out. Sun journalists have faced 48 charges related to misconduct in public office. The CPS has not won one.

"My suspension was lifted this week and I am free to return to work, but this is the chilling consequence of the Elveden offensive - what do I do next time a public official contacts my newspaper with a significant public-interest story?"

Out of the 27 journalists charged under the £20 million Operation Elveden, launched by the Metropolitan Police in 2011, 14 were cleared, seven faced retrials, and three are still awaiting trial.

The only two reporters to be found guilty following a trial took their cases to the Court of Appeal, meaning that to date not a single reporter has been successfully tried by a jury.

A total of 28 public officials were accused of receiving a total of £180,000 for the sale of stories and, so far, 21 of them have been convicted.