Yes but if it exposes the hypocrisy of politicians then should be excused. In fact this was only a problem because they deleted messages to make more space for new ones. Under such circumstances shouldn't the telecoms companies provide as much space as necessary automatically? As for hacking into the accounts that is already covered under the computer misuse act AFAIK. The payments to police are already illegal, it just was not enforced. The information was there though the police did not investigate because they were corrupt.

The Police are in just as much trouble as the NOTW as far as I am concerned.

the police investigating the police, that should be interesting ...

News International is planning to relieve the pressure on its beleaguered chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, by claiming she was on holiday when a mobile phone belonging to Milly Dowler was hacked into in 2002 by the News of the World, the paper she edited at the time.

The Guardian understands that the company has established that Brooks, News of the World editor from May 2000 until January 2003, was on holiday in Italy when the paper ran a story which referred to a message that had been left on the teenager's phone.

News International also believes Brooks was away in the two weeks following the murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham. It is thought that mobile phones belonging to the parents of the two girls were targeted in the days following their death.

That is likely to focus attention on Andy Coulson, who was Brook's deputy at the time, and would normally have edited the paper in her absence.

How about that, then? On holiday during two big stories. I hope that NI isn’t massaging the past to get Brooks out of a sticky situation. Anyway, this focusses attention on Andy Coulson again:



http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/ju ... ne-hacking

Although Cameron's decision making skills come into question, again, I can't help but feel it's aimed somewhat as diverting come attention away from NI.

Phones owned by relatives of dead UK soldiers were allegedly hacked by the News of the World, a national newspaper reports.

The Daily Telegraph claims the phone numbers of relatives of dead were found in the files of private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.

Amazing how the police failed to find this enormous avalanche of wrong doing the first time round eh?

Update : Just seen the BBC news late headlines - NI shares have fallen significantly as the likelihood of arrests grows and the likelihood of a quick buyout of BSkyB recedes. Allegedly, it's knocked $600m off the Murdoch family's personal fortune. I don't care if you are filthy rich, that's got to hurt .

Jon

In 2002 a BBC Crimewatch report investigating a notorious unsolved murder featured senior detective Dave Cook. Later, Cook realised he was being followed after colleagues informed him he was being targeted by journalists at the News of the World.

So concerned were police that a witness protection unit was mobilised along with a counter surveillance team to watch journalists allegedly following Cook.

When finally confronted, the News of the World apparently said they were interested in whether Dave Cook was having an affair with a Crimewatch presenter Jacqui Hames. They were in fact married at the time.

Jacqui Hames told Channel 4 News that she has been contacted by Operation Weeting detectives investigating the phone hacking scandal.

On Wednesday she voiced fears that her personal details had been sold by someone in the police force to the News of the World.

Nice excuse, oh we're just seeing if they're having an affair.... Right, they were frakin married at the time.

FFS this is getting well out of hand