UPDATED COULSON ARREST!!!!!!!UPDATED 7.7.2011 THE END OF THE NEWS OF THE WORLD; CLARENCE MITCHELL INTERVIEWED AS FULL EXTENT OF DEPRAVITY IN THE NAME OF JOURNALISM UNRAVELS

Oh this is just too fantastic for words, I have been waiting for this thing to get what is coming to him, oh fantastic NEXT!   No need for any more resignations now er Mr Coulson.

Andy Coulson to be arrested over phone hacking tomorrow

Second former senior News of the World journalist to also be arrested after leaks from NI force police to speed up plans
Amelia Hill
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 7 July 2011 19.42 BST
Article history

Andy Coulson
Andy Coulson, former News of the World editor, who has been asked to present himself to police over phone-hacking allegations. Photograph: Lewis Whyld/PA

Andy Coulson has been told by police that he will be arrested on Friday morning over suspicions that he knew about, or had direct involvement in, the hacking of mobile phones during his editorship of the News of the World.

The Guardian understands that a second arrest is also to be made in the next few days of a former senior journalist at the paper.

Leaks from News International forced police to speed up their plans to arrest the two key suspects in the explosive phone-hacking scandal.

The Guardian knows the identity of the second suspect but is witholding the name in order to avoid prejudicing the ongoing police investigation.

Coulson, who resigned as David Cameron's director of communications in January, was contacted on Thursday by detectives and asked to present himself at a police station in central London on Friday, where he will be told that he will be formally questioned under suspicion of involvement in hacking.

After being questioned by detectives from Operation Weeting – a process that could take several hours – the former rising star of News International is likely to be released on bail conditions that include appearing at court at a later date along with his three former colleagues who have already been arrested: Ian Edmondson, Neville Thurlbeck and James Weatherup.

The arrest will be embarrassing for David Cameron who consistently defended his decision to hire the controversial former journalist amid mounting evidence of his involvement in the hacking scandal.

Coulson was editor of The News of the World between 2003 and 2007. A close friend and deputy of News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks when she edited the paper, Coulson resigned a few weeks before the paper's royal correspondent, Clive Goodman, and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed after admitting intercepting messages on royal aides' phones.

In July of that year, he became the head of the Conservative party's media operation and then, following the formation of the coalition government in May 2010, communications chief for the prime minister.

He has always strenuously denied any knowledge of the illegal telephone hacking that is at the heart of the scandal currently rocking the Murdoch empire.

When he resigned a second time from his Downing Street role as one of the prime minister's closest aides, he insisted he had done so because persistant allegations that he must have known that his reporters had been hacking into voice messages had made it impossible for him to continue in his job.

Coulson is one of three News of the World journalists whose evidence to the trial of Scottish MSP Tommy Sheridan is being examined after doubts were cast on his claim that he was unaware of any wrongdoing by News of the World journalists.Evidence leading to the two imminent arrests has come from a cache of emails recently uncovered during NI's internal investigation into phone hacking.

The arrests had been planned to take place before August 8th, when Operation Weeting had agreed to pass all the relevant material in their possession to lawyers acting in the civil cases against NI for victims of phone hacking - thereby giving suspects the opportunity to discover what evidence the police hold against them.

The Guardian understands that NI had promised the police not to reveal the existence of evidence identifying Coulson and the other journalist, but that detectives began to fear the information would be leaked, after reports appeared suggesting that Coulson approved payments to police officers.

END

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/07/andy-coulson-arrest-phone-hacking

What a bad judgment call there on the part of PM Cameron, employing  Coulson and Clarence Mitchell, those two appointments are surely going to come back and haunt him.  Serves him right.  All those cosy lunches and horse rides with the delightful Rebekah too.  What a shoddy, money grabbing bunch and worse!   One good thing, this is going to hit Murky Murdoch in the pocket, although I guess he can afford to take a massive hit and still survive, it is just one little bit of his empire.  But mud sticks.

7 July 2011 Last updated at 17:22

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Royal British Legion suspends NoW ties over 'hacking'

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British tabloid the News of the World is at the centre of a storm over phone hacking

Continue reading the main story

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As the News of the World (NoW) phone-hacking scandal escalates, leading to the decision that the 10 July edition will be the paper's last, what are the key questions it poses?

What has News International announced?

The company's chairman James Murdoch said: "This Sunday will be the last issue of the News of the World."

No commercial adverts would appear in the final edition, he said. Advertising space would be donated to "causes and charities that wish to expose their good works to our millions of readers" and all of the edition's revenue "will go to good causes".

He praised the paper's achievements but condemned the fact revealed this week that phone-hacking victims may have included murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, bereaved military families and relatives of 7/7 bombing victims.

He said: "The good things the News of the World does have been sullied by behaviour that was wrong.

"Indeed, if recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our company."

How has the government reacted?

The prime minister's office said it had had no role or involvement in the decision by News International to close the News of the World and no pressure was applied to News International or James Murdoch.

A Downing Street statement said: "What matters is that all wrongdoing is exposed and those responsible for these appalling acts are brought to justice.

"As the Prime Minister has made clear, he is committed to establishing rigorous public inquiries to make sure this never happens in our country again."

How did the scandal arise?

The News of the World (NoW) has been illicitly hacking into the voicemail messages of prominent people to find stories.

It admitted intercepting voicemails in April after years of rumours that the practice was widespread and amid intense pressure from those who believed they had been victims.

So far, one NoW journalist and a private investigator have been jailed for hacking.

It is not known how many phones were hacked but police are investigating. Those targeted are said to include celebrities, sport stars, politicians, victims of crime and dead British soldiers' relatives.

The government has promised an inquiry.

What is the News of the World?

A national tabloid newspaper published in the UK, famed for celebrity scoops. Its fondness for sex scandals gained it the nickname "News of the Screws".

Its sales average 2,812,005 copies per week.

The NoW is published by News Group Newspapers, part of News International, which is a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.

Who is alleged to have been hacked?

Royal aides, celebrities, sport stars, politicians and victims of crime.

Among them are actor Hugh Grant, publicist Max Clifford, actresses Sienna Miller and Gwyneth Paltrow, former MP George Galloway, Lord Prescott, London Mayor Boris Johnson, football pundit Andy Gray and ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne.

Murdered teenager Milly Dowler and the parents of murdered Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were allegedly targeted. Relatives of dead UK soldiers may also have had their phones hacked.

Claims that Milly Dowler's phone was hacked were described as "truly dreadful" by the prime minister

So how many victims could there be?

In short, thousands.

How did the NoW hack phones?

Mobile phones used to come with a default four-digit Pin such as 1234, 0000 or 3333. Customers were expected to change their Pin, but very few did.

Tabloid journalists and private investigators could simply ring the number and if the caller didn't answer, enter the default Pin and access the person's messages.

Another ruse was to change the voicemail Pin from the default to prevent other journalists having access to it.

Why did the NoW hack phones?

For exclusive stories.

Competition is fierce among the national press and, under intense pressure, reporters can push at legal boundaries.

How do we know who was being hacked?

The NoW's royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed for hacking in January 2007 after it was found they targeted Prince William's aides. It stemmed from a NoW story published in November 2005 about the prince suffering a knee injury.

Detectives recovered files from Mulcaire's home which referred to a long list of public figures and celebrities.

The Guardian newspaper then claimed in July 2009 that NoW journalists had hacked the phones of up to 3,000 celebrities, politicians and sports stars. Police confirmed suspected victims had been identified among royals, the government, police and the military. Police also released some of the names.

Sienna Miller is one of the hacking victims to have taken legal action

Why does phone hacking matter?

It is against the law. If NoW bosses authorised phone hacking then they could face charges.

But the scandal also goes to the very heart of the relationship between the government and police and the UK media.

It raises wider questions of ethics in the press and how the police have investigated hacking.

Police are also facing questions over the relationship between its officers and the papers. News International uncovered e-mails indicating tens of thousands of pounds were paid over the years to police. Celebrities and politicians whose phones may have been hacked have long criticised police for failing to properly investigate and for being too close to the media.

The relationship between politicians and Rupert Murdoch's newspaper empire is also under close scrutiny.

Media commentators have argued that for the past two decades no politician with any prospect of power has dared to attack his empire.

The appointment of Andy Coulson, the editor of the NoW at the time Goodman and Mulcaire were operating illegally, as David Cameron's director of communications has also thrown into question the prime minister's judgement.

And the phone hacking scandal could also dent Rupert Murdoch's ambitions to take control of BSkyB.

What are the victims doing about it?

Several cases have been settled in the courts. Sienna Miller won £100,000 damages and Andy Gray received £20,000. Max Clifford brought a private case and received a reported settlement of £700,000.

Other victims are awaiting the outcome of police investigations or have already launched legal action.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott has said he believes he was targeted by hackers

What is the status of the police investigation?

The Metropolitan Police have faced criticism for their initial inquiry in 2006 into phone hacking at the paper.

It saw Goodman and Mulcaire jailed but did not implicate anyone else.

In 2009 the Met chose not to relaunch their investigation despite claims in the Guardian that the NoW was involved in widespread phone hacking of several thousand celebrities, sports stars and politicians. John Yates, acting deputy commissioner at the Met, said where there had been evidence that people had been subjected to any form of phone hacking, they had been informed.

But, in January 2011, amid continuing pressure, the Met reopened the investigation and launched Operation Weeting to look at "significant new information". On the same day the NoW sacked Ian Edmondson, one of its assistant editors, when four e-mails relating to phone hacking were allegedly found on the newspaper's systems.

In total, five people have been arrested and bailed by police as part of the new investigation - NoW chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, Ian Edmondson, senior NoW journalist James Weatherup, freelance journalist Terenia Taras and Press Association journalist Laura Elston.

In May, former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott, Labour MP Chris Bryant, ex-Scotland Yard commander Brian Paddick and journalist Brendan Montague won a High Court bid for a judicial review into the police inquiry.

Police are investigating the latest claims about phones belonging to members of the public being hacked.

How is hacking linked to alleged payments to police?

Commentators and victims accused the police of a lack of will to investigate hacking because officers were too close to the media.

At the beginning of July, News International handed over e-mails which were said to show payments were made to police in return for information, and they were authorised by Mr Coulson.

And in 2003, Rebekah Brooks, the company's chief executive, admitted to a Commons committee that journalists had paid police for information in the past. But she later said she had no knowledge of "any specific cases".

The Metropolitan Police are investigating and their chief has said any officer found to have received "inappropriate" payments from News International would be disciplined.

What has the government done?

On 7 July Prime Minister David Cameron promised an inquiry into phone hacking.

But the government, and the previous Labour administration, have been accused of being slow to react over the scandal.

After the Guardian's claims in 2009, the cross-party House of Commons Culture, Media and Sports Committee interviewed News International bosses, including Mr Coulson, over the newspaper's accusations.

Mr Coulson said he gave his reporters "freedom to do their job" but ordered them not to use subterfuge of any kind "unless there was a clear public interest in doing so".

In its report in February 2010, the committee accused the NoW of "collective amnesia". The MPs found no evidence that Mr Coulson had either approved of phone hacking by his reporters or was aware that phones were being hacked but said it was "inconceivable" that no-one else knew it was going on.

It was not until July 2011, following revelations that bereaved families may have been targeted, that the government pledged an inquiry.

The probe will not begin until the police investigation into hacking is complete.

How did News International initially respond?

News International initially denied phone hacking was widespread and put Goodman's conviction down to the work of one "rogue reporter". Editor Andy Coulson resigned but claimed no knowledge of hacking.

It was only after intense pressure from victims that it admitted, in April this year, that hacking was used. On 10 April an official apology was made on the NoW website and on page two of the newspaper for intercepting voicemails between 2004 and 2006. It said its past behaviour was a "matter of genuine regret".

News International instructed lawyers to set up a compensation fund of £20m to deal with "justifiable claims". It has made several payouts.

The company said it would be "horrified" if claims murder victims or bereaved soldiers' families were targeted are true.

News International has welcomed the prime minister's pledge for a wide-ranging inquiry into standards in the media. It also pledged to co-operate with the police inquiry.

What about Andy Coulson?

Andy Coulson blamed coverage of the phone-hacking story for his resignation

Mr Coulson was editor when Goodman and Mulcaire were convicted. He resigned, saying he took responsibility for something that had happened on his watch.

But in November 2010 detectives interviewed Mr Coulson as a witness - and two months later he quit his post at Downing Street, citing coverage of the scandal.

That led to questions about the judgement of PM David Cameron - but he said Mr Coulson had been "punished twice for the same offence".

It also emerged that News International had handed over e-mails showing that it had authorised payments to police officers for help with stories.

What about BSkyB?

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation wants to take over broadcaster BSkyB.

News Corp already owns 39% of BSkyB, but last year signalled its intent to to take over the remainder of the company.

News Corp's bid had faced opposition from rivals in the media industry and some politicians, who objected on the grounds that it would own too much of the British media if the deal went through.

That opposition has increased as the phone-hacking scandal escalates, with critics claiming that it shows that News Corp is not "fit and proper" to own the broadcaster, as required by the media regulator Ofcom.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to delay his decision on whether to allow News Corp's bid for BSkyB after receiving 100,000 submissions on the issue.

Where does all this leave News International?

News International is co-operating with a police inquiry into hacking and is conducting its own investigation into the claims.

It also faces an inquiry into the allegations. There could even be two inquiries into phone hacking - one into the police handling of the original investigation in the middle of the last decade, and one into the actions of the media. Or there could be one all-encompassing inquiry, led by a judge. The inquiry will start only when the police investigation has concluded.

Calls have been made for Rebekah Brooks, editor of the News of the World at the time of the alleged hacking of Milly Dowler's phone, to resign from her current job as chief executive of News International. But Mrs Brooks has said she will not stand down.

The company faces further issues.

A string of businesses have suspended or cancelled advertising with the paper, pending the newspaper's investigation and response. Among them are Co-operative Group, Lloyds, Halifax, Vauxhall, Virgin Holidays, Sainsbury's, O2 and carmaker Ford. The government is also reviewing its advertising with the title.

The Royal British Legion has also cut its ties with the paper as its campaigning partner and is reviewing its advertising with News International.

Shares in News Corporation have also taken a hit.

More on This Story

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• Phone hacking 'endemic' in Fleet Street 24 JANUARY 2011, TODAY
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'Nothing short of attempt to pervert the course of justice': MP accuses Rebekah Brooks and James Murdoch over phone hacking scandal

• 'News International has entered the criminal underworld,' says Tom Watson MP
• Accusations Murdoch and Brooks knew about destruction of information at a faciltity in India
• Police looking into NotW links to the Madeline McCann and Danielle Jones investigations
• Call for David Cameron to be removed from public inquiry decisions
• Backbencher calls for the public to boycott companies that advertise with NotW

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Last updated at 8:34 PM on 6th July 2011

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More accusations: Tom Watson called for James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks to be suspended

A slew  of new accusations and allegations against the News of the World emerged today in an explosive emergency debate in the House of Commons over the phone hacking scandal. 

In a debate there were even calls for the Prime Minister David Cameron to be removed from the decision making process in any public inquiry because of his close links to Andy Coulson, his former head of communications at 10 Downing Street.

The most powerful accusations were levelled by Tom Watson MP, who called for Rebekah Brooks and James Murdoch to be suspended from News International. 

Watson said James Murdoch had  'personally and without board approval' authorised money to be paid to silence people who said they had been hacked. 

He called those actions ‘nothing short of an attempt to pervert the course of justice'.

During his speech, Watson also said Brooks and James Murdoch should be questioned about the destruction of information at a storage facility called HCL in Chennai, India.

'They now have to accept their culpability and face the full force of the law,' he said.

More accusations: Yvette Cooper said David Cameron should be removed from the process because of his links to Andy Coulson

He further accused them of 'lawbreaking', of having 'links to the criminal underworld' and of 'paying people for their silence'.

He added: 'They are not fit and proper persons to control any part of the media in this country.'

Referring to Mrs Brooks, Mr Watson said 'far from accepting blame she has amazingly put herself in charge of the investigation of wrongdoing', adding: 'The chief suspect has become the chief investigator.'

He added she was present at a meeting with Scotland Yard when police officers pursuing a murder investigation provided her with evidence that her newspaper was interfering with the pursuit of justice.

He said the meeting 'told her that NOTW staff were guilty of interference and party to using unlawful means to attempt to discredit a police officer and his wife'.

Debate leader: Labour MP Chris Bryant said the News of the World has systematically lied to Parliament

'News International was paying people to interfere with police officers and were doing so on behalf of known criminals. We know now that News International had entered the criminal underworld,' he said.

'She cannot deny being present at this meeting when the actions of people she was paying were exposed. She cannot deny now being warned that under her auspices unlawful tactics were being used with the purpose of interfering with the pursuit of justice.'

He concluded: 'This in my view shows her culpability goes beyond taking the blame as head of the organisation, it is about direct knowledge of unlawful behaviour.'

David Cameron was linked to the scandal by Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, who said his relationship with Andy Coulson compromised his impartiality.

Cooper said there were rumours circulating that the reason Coulson resigned from Downing Street was because he knew of the existence of the newly-uncovered emails.

She then called for Mr Cameron to remove himself from all decisions regarding the public inquiry. 

She said: 'These emails were passed to police on 20th June, even though the inquiry and NI's co-operation started on 26th of January.

More...

• News of the World 'very close' to identifying executive who asked for Milly's phone to be hacked as Cameron calls for inquiry
• Murdoch's takeover of BSkyB 'almost certain' to be delayed as phone hacking scandal deepens

'Was Andy Coulson aware of this and did he tell the Prime Minister or No.10 about these emails? 

'If he did it means members of the Government were aware of this before the police. 

'The Prime Minister needs to provide some immediate answers to this question. Should the Prime Minister now remove himself from any decision making about this public inquiry?

'This inquiry needs to be impartial and it cannot be compromised by any perception of partiality in the ministers in charge of those decisions.'

The debate was led by Labour MP Chris Bryant who began the three-hour session by saying that News International had 'completely lost sight of any idea of decency'. 

He claimed Parliament had been 'systematically lied to' by the newspaper and a 'very dirty smell' also surrounded the police's handling of the original inquiry, he added.

Mr Bryant told MPs: 'I think a lot of lies have been told by a lot of people.'

With the anniversary of the 7/7 terror attacks tomorrow, Mr Bryant said the families of victims were among those targeted.

Attorney General: Dominic Grieve warned a public inquiry would not make progress until after the criminal investigation is completed

He added: 'In addition, I am told that police are looking at not just Milly Dowler's phone and those of the families of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, but the case of Madeleine McCann and 15-year-old Danielle Jones who was abducted and murdered in Essex in 2001 by her uncle Stuart Campbell.'

He continued: 'Scandalously, it also seems that the News of the World targeted some of those police officers who were at various times in charge of the investigation into the News of the World itself.

'We can only speculate why they would want to do that.'

Mr Bryant told MPs: 'These are not just the amoral actions of some lone private investigator tied to a rogue News of the World, they are the immoral and almost certainly criminal deeds of an organisation that was appallingly led and had completely lost sight of any idea of decency or shared humanity.

'The private voicemail messages of victims of crime should never, ever have become a commodity to be traded between journalists and private investigators for a cheap story and a quick sale and I know that the vast majority of journalists in this country would agree with that.'

Prime Minister David Cameron has given his backing for an inquiry, but has insisted that the police investigation should be allowed to conclude before it can fully begin.

Mr Bryant challenged that idea and stressed it was necessary to begin as soon as possible, with hearings in private if necessary to avoid prejudicing criminal proceedings.

Chief executive: Bryant said if Rebekah Brooks had a shred of decency she would resign from News International

Attorney General Dominic Grieve said: 'I certainly note the comments you have made about the ability or the possibility of setting the inquiry up, but it may not make much progress until the criminal investigations are over.'

Mr Bryant, who is taking legal action against the newspaper over claims his phone was hacked, said: 'The journalists and private investigators should be ashamed of what happened.

'But so too should those who ran the newspaper. It is simply no excuse to say that they did not know what was going on.

'Managerial and executive negligence is tantamount to complicity in this case.'

He then called for News International's chief executive Rebekah Brooks, a former editor of the News of the World, to quit.

'I believe that if Rebekah Brooks had a single shred of decency she would now resign.

'God knows, if it were a minister who was in the spotlight at the moment she would be demanding their head on a plate.'

But Mr Bryant stressed the News of the World 'was not the only magician in the dark arts' and the 'whole of the political system' failed to take action.

Turning to the Met's 2006 investigation, which led to the conviction of private investigator Glenn Mulcaire and the News of the World's royal editor Clive Goodman, Mr Bryant said: 'The police secured a vast amount of information.

'They could have, and I believe should have, interrogated that information so that it became evidence.

'They could have approached all those who were affected.

Ford, Virgin and Halifax are among the firms that have pulled out of advertising in the News of the World

'They could have contacted the mobile phone companies to ensure that their customers were better protected.

'Unfortunately they did none of those things.'

One senior Labour MP urged the public to boycott companies that continue to advertise in the News of the World.

Shadow home office minister Clive Efford said consumers should refuse to do business with firms that 'do not stand side by side with the ordinary person in the street'.

A string of companies have pulled their advertising from the Sunday newspaper amid public anger over the phone hacking scandal, including Halifax, Virgin Holidays, Ford, Vauxhall and the Co-operative Group.

Mr Efford, speaking from the back benches, commended those firms who had pulled their adverts from the NotW in light of the new allegations.
But he said it was 'not good enough' that some companies had chosen to wait for the outcome of the police inquiry.

He added: 'I say to the people that may be purchasing goods from those organisations or thinking about buying a new mobile phone - if these companies do not stand side by side with the ordinary person in the street who is outraged at what has gone on in News International, then they should not trade with those companies.

'Because it's only by ordinary people making a stand that we stop these rich people - rich people who have invaded the lives of ordinary people in the street to make themselves even richer and make themselves even more powerful - only by hurting them where it really does matter, in their profits, will the ordinary person in the street influence their behaviour in the future.'

Explore more:

People: 

Milly Dowler, 

Jessica Chapman, 

Stuart Campbell, 

Madeleine McCann, 

David Cameron, 

Dominic Grieve, 

Clive Goodman, 

Yvette Cooper, 

Holly Wells, 

Andy Coulson 

Places: 

India 

Organisations: 

House of Commons

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2011861/News-World-phone-hacking-Rebekah-Brooks-James-Murdoch-accused.html#ixzz1RMguPPcr

News of the World phone hacking: Police review all child abduction cases

Detectives to examine every case involving attacks on children since 2001 in response to Milly Dowler phone hacking

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• Amelia Hill, James Robinson, Sam Jones, Nick Davies and Dan Sabbagh
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 July 2011 22.04 BST
• Article history

Madeleine McCann, which is expected to be the first case to be re-examined in the wake of Milly Dowler phone hacking allegations. Photograph: -/AFP/Getty Images

Police officers investigating phone hacking by the News of the World are turning their attention to examine every high-profile case involving the murder, abduction or attack on any child since 2001 in response to the revelation that journalists from the tabloid newspaper hacked into the voicemail messages of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

The move is a direct response to the Guardian's exclusive story on Monday that a private investigator working for the News International tabloid, Glenn Mulcaire, caused Milly's parents to wrongly believe she was still alive – and interfered with police inquiries into her disappearance – by hacking into the teenager's mobile phone and deleting messages.

News of the impending police action capped a dramatic day of unfolding developments in the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

Last night, it emerged that News International handed to the Metropolitan Police details of payments made by News of the World to senior police officers between 2003 and 2007, the period when Andy Coulson was the paper's editor.

The development brings the crisis closer to the door of prime minister David Cameron who appointed Coulson as his director of communications when in opposition and then staunchly defended him until Coulson quit in January 2011.

News International said last night: "As a result of media enquiries, it is correct to state that new information has recently been provided to the police. As News International and News Group Newspapers has reiterated many times, full and continuing cooperation has been provided to the police since the current investigation started in January 2011. Well understood arrangements are in place to ensure that any material of importance to which they are entitled is provided to them. We cannot comment any further due to the ongoing investigations."

The revelation also suggests there is now a breaking of ranks inside News International since the files on payments to the police are unlikely to have emerged only yesterday, but instead were released to the police as senior executives said the paper could no longer continue to cover up the scale of the wrong doing at the paper.

Pointedly, News International insisted last night that the payments to the police did not relate to the period from 2000-2003, when Brooks was the paper's editor. Commentators last night suggested that was a way for the company to deflect the blame onto Coulson.

Throughout the day, pressure intensified on the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper and, in particular, its former editor and now News International chief executive, Rebekah Brooks – who insisted she knew nothing of the Dowler hacking allegations. She edited the News of the World at the time the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone messages took place.

Last night, former News of the World journalist Paul McMullan claimed on BBC Newsnight that Rebekah Brooks was aware of the phone hacking. Asked if his former editor knew of the activities, he said: "Of course she did."

McMullen, who made similar claims in a conversation that was secretly by taped by actor Hugh Grant earlier this year, described the hacking of Dowler's phone as "not such a big deal".

He said: "The journalists might have helped. The mistake that was made was that [Mulcaire] was so keen to get new messages he deleted the old ones."

The case of Madeleine McCann is expected to be one of the first to be re-examined by detectives from Scotland Yard's new inquiry into the phone hacking, Operation Weeting.

Clarence Mitchell, Kate and Gerry McCann's spokesman, said he has been interviewed by officers from the hacking inquiry Operation Weeting, and is due to be interviewed a second time in the near future.

Other cases likely to be re-examined include 15-year-old Danielle Jones, who was abducted and murdered in East Tilbury, Essex, in 2001 by her uncle, Stuart Campbell.

Officers from Operation Weeting have already told the parents of the girls killed in Soham in 2002 by Ian Huntley that their mobiles had been hacked. Documents seized by the Metropolitan police in a 2006 raid on Mulcaire's home show he targeted Leslie Chapman, the father of Jessica Chapman.

It is understood the name "Greg" appeared in the corner of notes taken by Mulcaire – believed to be a reference to the News of the World's former assistant editor (news) Greg Miskiw. It is thought that parents of the other murdered girl, Holly Wells, were also targeted.

Police officers will trawl through their collection of 11,000 pages of notes kept by Mulcaire, and seized from him in 2006, when he and the News of the World's royal editor, Clive Goodman, were jailed for hacking into mobile phones belonging to aides to Prince William and Harry and other members of the royal household.

Mulcaire issued a public apology on Tuesday to all those hurt or upset by his activities, saying that after the developments of the past 24 hours he had to "break his silence". He said: "I want to apologise to anybody who was hurt or upset by what I have done. I've been to court. I've pleaded guilty. And I've gone to prison and been punished. I still face the possibility of further criminal prosecution.

"Working for the News of the World was never easy. There was relentless pressure. There was a constant demand for results. I knew what we did pushed the limits ethically. But, at the time, I didn't understand that I had broken the law at all."

The media regulator, Ofcom, is understood to be ready to examine whether News Corporation directors would be "fit and proper persons" to own BSkyB – if any senior employees at News Corporation or its UK arm, News International, were charged with hacking-related offences.

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is closing in on winning regulatory approval for its proposed £8bn-plus takeover of the 61% of BSkyB it does not own. Sources close to the culture secretary Jeremy Hunt, who will decide on the issue, insisted he could not take phone hacking into account in the decision that is focused on "media plurality".

Meanwhile a string of high-profile companies – including Ford, npower, Halifax, T-Mobile and Orange – said they would be reviewing or withdrawing their advertising in the News of the World. These five brands are estimated to account for more than £2m worth of advertising in the tabloid in the past year. T-Mobile and Orange are thought to have spent an estimated £1.5m between them.

Ford said it would be using "alternative media within and outside News International Group instead of placing Ford advertising in the News of the World" while it awaited the outcome of an internal investigation.

The company added: "Ford is a company which cares about the standards of behaviour of its own people and those it deals with externally."

Halifax said it was "considering our options" about advertising in the News of the World, adding: "We are sensitive to the views of our customers and will take them into account."

, with cCalls for boycotts of the News of the World appeared on Twitterand Facebook, and companies came under sustained pressure to pull their advertising from it.

Those wishing to direct their fury at the firms who advertise through the News of the World were provided with a one-stop page where they could automatically tweet their concerns to companies such as the Co-operative, easyJet, Butlins and Renault. Others went further, and calling for direct boycotts of the firms unless they took their advertising money elsewhere.

John Bercow, the speaker of Commons, granted a debate – which will happen on Wednesday – into calls for a public inquiry into phone hacking by News International journalists, and whether there was a potential cover-up by its senior executives.

Ministers in the Commons opposed the emergency debate but, in what will be seen as another show of force by Bercow, he accepted arguments in favour put by the Labour MP Chris Bryant.

The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, said Brooks needed to "examine her conscience" and that he was sure that she would because "this happened on her watch".

Although his words were Labour's strongest intervention so far on the phone-hacking crisis, the party is still undecided about whether to put forward a substantive motion calling for a public inquiry that could be subject to a vote or amendment.

Media regulator Ofcom is understood to be standing by ready to examine whether News Corporation directors would be "fit and proper persons" to own BSkyB — if any senior employees at News Corporation or its UK arm News International were charged with any hacking related offences. Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is closing in on winning regulatory approval for its proposed £8bn-plus takeover of the 61% of BSkyB it does not own — with sources close to the deciding minister, culture secretary Jeremy Hunt, insisting again yesterday that he could not take phone hacking into account of a decision that is focused on "media plurality".In the first sign of potential coalition tension of the Conservative Hunt's planned approval of the Murdoch BSkyB deal, Tim Farron, the president of the Liberal Democrats, told BBC Radio 4's World at Oneon Tuesday: "I ask myself, is Rupert Murdoch a fit and proper person to own any more of the media market? Well, certainly not." The Milly Dowler revelations were the "tip of the iceberg", he added.

Channel 4 News reported that Brooks was confronted by the Met in 2002 about the fact a senior detective investigating the murder of a private investigator, Daniel Morgan, was targeted by Mulcaire on behalf of the News of the World. The main suspect in the case, which was being led by Detective Superintendent David Cook, was a man with close links to the News of the World.

Cook and his wife, Jackie Haines, were told by Scotland Yard in April this year their mobile phone numbers and payroll details had been found in Mulcaire's notebook. News International said it could not confirm or deny whether Brooks had ever attended such a meeting.

Lady Buscombe, the chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, said she was lied to by the News of the World over phone hacking.

"There's only so much we can do when people are lying to us. We know now that I was not being given the truth by the News of the World," she told the BBC's Daily Politics.

Brooks emailed employees at News International to insist she knew nothing about phone hacking: "It is inconceivable that I knew or worse, sanctioned these appalling allegations. I am aware of the speculation about my position.

"Therefore it is important you all know that as chief executive, I am determined to lead the company to ensure we do the right thing and resolve these serious issues."

-----

Show us what evidence you have against me demands Rebekkah Brooks, now who does she remind me of?  I wonder if she was educated at the same school of hard knocks as Gerry McCann?  You need to know just how much they know and hope it is nowhere near as much as you know, then you can start the bare knuckle fight.  Gerry thought he was going to get a High Court Judge to hand it all over to him, bad luck Gerry.   And we all remember what happened to Mary Queen of Scots head of red hair.  I imagine Coulson must be feeling very jittery now, serves him right.  Just wondering how Cameron will explain employing him and Clarence Mitchell...

Milly Dowler phone hacking: the full text of Rebekah Brooks's email

News International chief's message to staff stating that it is 'inconceivable' that she knew about alleged phone hacking

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• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 July 2011 12.51 BST
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Rebekah Brooks has told News International staff that it is 'inconceivable' she knew about phone hacking in the Milly Dowler case. Photograph: Indigo/Getty Images

Dear All,

When I wrote to you last week updating you on a number of business issues I did not anticipate having to do so again so soon.

However, I wanted to address the company as a matter of urgency in light of the new claims against the News of the World.

We were all appalled and shocked when we heard about these allegations yesterday.

I have to tell you that I am sickened that these events are alleged to have happened.

Not just because I was editor of the News of the World at the time, but if the accusations are true, the devastating effect on Milly Dowler's family is unforgivable.

Our first priority must be to establish the full facts behind these claims. I have written to Mr and Mrs Dowler this morning to assure them News International will vigorously pursue the truth and that they will be the first to be informed of the outcome of our investigation.

Our lawyers have also written to their solicitor Mark Lewis to ask him to show us any of the evidence he has so we can swiftly take the appropriate action.

At the moment we only know what we have read.

Since 2006, when the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) seized the documentation from the private investigator Glen [sic] Mulcaire, News International has had no visibility on the evidence available.

The process of discovery is complicated. The MPS first present relevant documents to potential victims. We only see the evidence much later during the legal process.

This morning, in our regular Operation Weeting meeting, we have offered the MPS our full co-operation to establish the veracity of these fresh allegations.

I have also written to the chief constable of Surrey police. Although their nine year investigation is now complete, I want to offer our co-operation should they intend to discuss this matter with us.

I am determined that News International does everything it can to co-operate fully and pro-actively with the MPS, as we have been doing for some time, to verify the facts so we can respond in a robust and proper way.

It is almost too horrific to believe that a professional journalist or even a freelance inquiry agent working on behalf of a member of the News of the World staff could behave in this way.

If the allegations are proved to be true then I can promise the strongest possible action will be taken as this company will not tolerate such disgraceful behaviour.

I hope that you all realise it is inconceivable that I knew or worse, sanctioned these appalling allegations.

I am proud of the many successful newspaper campaigns at the Sun and the News of the World under my editorship.

In particular, the 10-year fight for Sarah's Law is especially personal to me.

The battle for better protection of children from paedophiles and better rights for the families and the victims of these crimes defined my editorships.

Although these difficult times will continue for many months ahead, I want you to know that News International will pursue the facts with vigour and integrity.

I am aware of the speculation about my position. Therefore it is important you all know that as chief executive, I am determined to lead the company to ensure we do the right thing and resolve these serious issues.

We will face up to the mistakes and wrongdoing of the past and we will do our utmost to see that justice is done and those culpable will be punished.