The parents of murdered Soham girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman have been visited by police investigating phone-hacking by journalists.

Private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, working for the News of the World, allegedly hacked the phone of murdered girl Milly Dowler when she was missing.

News International has promised the "strongest possible action" if it is proven Milly's phone was hacked.

In a statement, Mulcaire apologised to anyone "hurt or upset" by his actions.

The Guardian has claimed he intercepted messages left by relatives for 13-year-old Milly Dowler while she was missing in 2002, and that the News of the World (NoW) deleted some messages it had already listened to in order to make space for more to be left.

In a statement released to the Guardian on Tuesday, Mulcaire made no direct reference to those allegations but apologised "to anybody who was hurt or upset by what I have done".

He said: "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."

He added that he "never had any intention of interfering with any police inquiry into any crime".

BBC business editor Robert Peston says police are investigating whether the phone of Jessica's father, Leslie Chapman, was hacked by the press.

Jessica and Holly, both 10, of Soham, Cambridgeshire, were murdered in 2002 by school caretaker Ian Huntley, who was jailed for life.

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News International's Simon Greenberg said the company was "shocked and appalled"

Milly Dowler went missing in March 2002 near her home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Her remains were found in remote woodland at Yateley Heath in Hampshire six months later.

Nightclub doorman Levi Bellfield was convicted of the murder last month.

Our business editor says that, in relation to the phone-hacking claims involving Milly, News International executives privately say "they accept that the basic allegations are true".

"Perhaps more striking, however," he adds, "is that those executives also say that there may be even more embarrassing revelations to come about the way that News of the World journalists obtained information about other individuals."

BBC Newsnight has learned that police investigating press phone-hacking have also spoken to Jacqui Hames, a former Met officer and presenter on BBC's Crimewatch, and Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for the family of missing child Madeleine McCann.

Mr Mitchell told the BBC that someone had tried to persuade his mobile phone network operator to reveal confidential information about his account.
'Further torture'

In a memo to staff on Tuesday, Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of NoW publisher News International, said the allegations Milly's phone was hacked were "almost too horrific to believe".

"I have to tell you that I am sickened that these events are alleged to have happened," Mrs Brooks wrote.
Continue reading the main story
ANALYSIS
Iain Watson Political correspondent, BBC News

Calls for tougher press regulation are nothing new.

In the 80s the Tory minister David Mellor warned some editors were "drinking in the last chance saloon".

But last orders still haven't been called.

Then ministers opted for a system of self-regulation by the press.

There's a general rule that oppositions urge tighter regulation but fail to implement it in government.

Although newspaper sales are in decline, politicians still seek their endorsement.

Unlike broadcasters, the press are free to be politically partial and the Murdoch press control around a third of the market.

They endorsed Labour in 1997 - ex-Downing Street insider Lance Price has said no big decision was taken without considering Rupert Murdoch's likely reaction.

After two parliamentary inquiries, in 2007 Labour declared the system of self-regulation was still "appropriate".

Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson was David Cameron's communications chief until early this year. At the last election, the Murdoch tabloids switched allegiance from Labour to Conservative.

Labour are now taking a tougher line saying it is time to "clean up the press" - although some senior voices worry they should not be alienating powerful proprietors.

Sources close to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt suggest he might support a public inquiry into the media once police investigations conclude.

So closing time could come to the last chance saloon after all.

"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."

She added: "I hope that you all realise it is inconceivable that I knew - or worse - sanctioned these appalling allegations."

Labour leader Ed Miliband said the public would be "horrified that the grieving parents of an abducted child were made to go through further torture that somehow she was alive because her voicemails were being retrieved or deleted".

He called the allegations a "stain on the character of British journalism", adding there should be "a proper inquiry into the culture and practices which allowed these things to happen".

Motor company Ford has announced a halt on advertising in the News of the World, pending the newspaper's investigation and response over the phone-hacking claims.

"Ford is a company which cares about the standards of behaviour of its own people and those it deals with externally," it said in a statement.

Energy company Npower and the Halifax bank have announced they are considering their options regarding advertising in the News of the World.

MPs will hold an emergency debate on Wednesday on whether there should be a public inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow granted the urgent debate following a call by Labour MP Chris Bryant, who accused the News of the World of "playing God with a family's emotions".

In the upper house, former Conservative Party Chairman Lord Fowler said an inquiry was needed in the wake of "one of the biggest scandals affecting the press in living memory".

Home Office minister Baroness Browning said the government would await the outcome of the police investigation before deciding whether further action was necessary.

Also on Wednesday, the Media Standards Trust - which aims to promote high news standards within the media - will launch the Hacked Off campaign calling for a public inquiry into "phone hacking and other forms of illegal intrusion by the press".
Out-of-court settlements

On BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, actor Hugh Grant - who investigated hacking for the New Statesman in April - said that he hoped the latest allegations would bring about a public inquiry.

It had previously been difficult to get people to care about the hacking scandal - which involved celebrities and MPs having allegedly been targeted - because "most victims are rich", Mr Grant said.
Milly Dowler Schoolgirl Milly Dowler's remains were found six months after she went missing in March 2002

"It's been hard to get people to viscerally feel sickened and outraged, but now that people fully realise just how repulsive these people are - and the lengths to which they'll go - hopefully there'll be more momentum in getting something done," he said.

The Metropolitan Police launched Operation Weeting in January this year after new phone-hacking claims emerged. The force has faced criticism for its initial inquiry in 2006 into phone-hacking at the paper.

That probe led to the convictions and imprisonment of Mulcaire and then News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman in 2007 for conspiracy to access phone messages left for members of the royal household.

A number of alleged phone-hacking victims have since reached out-of-court settlements with the newspaper.

Mr Mystery wrote:You bloody well are! Don't need that many people to pay me before I can come hunt you down!

From: Charlotte Dewar
Date: 5 July 2011 14:53
Subject: STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL: The wife and children of Glenn Mulcaire

PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL; NOT FOR PUBLICATION

The Commission has this afternoon been contacted by Sarah Webb, a representative of the wife of Glenn Mulcaire. As you will see, Ms Webb has said that a number of representatives of the media are at the family home. Mr Mulcaire is not at the home. Mrs Mulcaire and the children are distressed by the attention and have asked that the PCC make editors aware of their request that journalists should leave the area. Ms Webb states that press enquiries relating to Mr Mulcaire should be directed to her at the email address provided.

We are happy to make editors aware of the position. Please feel free to give me a call to discuss any Code issues.

Best wishes
Charlotte

-

From: SARAH WEBB
Sent: 05 July 2011
To: Charlotte Dewar
Subject: Glenn Mulcaire

I act for the wife of Glenn Mulcaire.

As you know, Mr Mulcaire is the subject of considerable news attention today. At the moment, his house is being besieged by press. He is not at home. His wife and children (who are under the age of 18) are in the home. They are distressed by the presence of large numbers of reporters and photographers, which has stopped them from entering or leaving the home.

Mrs Mulcaire and her children do not wish to speak to the press; they have not been involved in any way in allegations of phone hacking. I would be grateful if you could make clear our request to editors, in line with Clause 4 (Harassment) of the Editors’ Code, that their representatives leave the area of the home. Media enquiries regarding Mr Mulcaire should be directed to me at the email address above.

Thank you

Sarah Webb
SARAH WEBB
Partner

Kilkrazy wrote:It is a very tangled web.

We have the police accused of selling info to the News of the World.

That might reflect badly on their slowness to investigate the allegations of celebrity phone hacking.

Why has it taken five years to emerge that the journalist involved was thought to have hacked the Soham case phones? Police had the notes of the man involved in 2006.

What was the role of Rebeccah Brooks, who was editor of the paper in the early 00s? She is now chief executive of News Corp.

Was Andy Coulson, NoTW editor after Rebeccah Brooks, used as a scapegoat to avoid her getting the blame?

Am I paranoid is finding it suspicious that this affair has blown up at the point at which the Monopolies Commission is examining News Corp’s bid to take over BSkyB broadcasting?

MeanGreenStompa wrote:They should all be charged with perverting the course of justice and subject to the maximum penalty.

The hacking of that missing girl's mobile phone and the active deletion of messages on it by these bastards resulted in a belief that she might still be alive and doing the deleting herself.

Not only is this ghoulish and perverted and contemptible, it has directed the course of murder investigations.


They MUST be jailed for this.

THIS week we hail the courageous cops who face danger every day as they keep Britain safe.
The Sun's 16th annual Police Bravery Awards, organised with the Police Federation, salute officers who have gone far beyond the call of duty.
On Thursday, Prime Minister David Cameron will welcome the 59 nominees to Number Ten before a glittering awards ceremony at The Savoy hotel.
The final eight regional prize-winners and one overall winner will be chosen by a judging panel including anti-violence campaigner Baroness Newlove.

MeanGreenStompa wrote:They should all be charged with perverting the course of justice and subject to the maximum penalty.

The hacking of that missing girl's mobile phone and the active deletion of messages on it by these bastards resulted in a belief that she might still be alive and doing the deleting herself.

Not only is this ghoulish and perverted and contemptible, it has directed the course of murder investigations.


They MUST be jailed for this.

mattyrm wrote:Journalists are the lowest of the low, they seem to act like self serving slime so consistently I can almost agree with Chinas "we rule the media" attitude. I suppose there are pros and cons to both systems.

Speaking of self serving slime, were giving individual cops awards for acting a bit like most cops are supposed to anyways!?

Albatross wrote:

mattyrm wrote:Journalists are the lowest of the low, they seem to act like self serving slime so consistently I can almost agree with Chinas "we rule the media" attitude. I suppose there are pros and cons to both systems.

Speaking of self serving slime, were giving individual cops awards for acting a bit like most cops are supposed to anyways!?

Cops are supposed to get stabbed in the line of duty? Hot damn. We need to pay those guys a bit more. They should think about going on strike.

RE: The press thing - Yes they are mostly slime. However, if a person spends their time digging dirt, we shouldn't be surprised if they get dirty. Enough of us buy newspapers or read the news online that the pressure is on journalists to come up with news. We usually don't care too much where it's come from, as long as it provides a momentary distraction.


All that aside, what the individuals responsible for these actions did is reprehensible and they should feel the full force of the law.

Flashman wrote:I think this story has lost the capacity to shock. Once you wrap your head around the idea that anyone going through a bad time was a potential target, each new revelation (familes of 7/7 victims, families of war dead, families of every murdered/abducted child in the last decade) is accepted with a weary resignation.

What were we saying about Britain being a great nation again?

James Murdoch has announced that this Sunday's edition of the News of the World will be the paper's last.

It was reported to Yahoo! News by a News of the World journalist that James Murdoch broke the news to staff this afternoon and that many journalists are said to be distraught and phoning their families.

In a statement James Murdoch said: "Having consulted senior colleagues, I have decided that we must take further decisive action with respect to the paper. This Sunday will be the last issue of the News of the World.

"We will run no commercial advertisements this weekend. Any advertising space in this last edition will be donated to causes and charities that wish to expose their good works to our millions of readers."

Orlando Parfitt, a former News of the World journalist told Yahoo! News: "I have very mixed emotions. On one hand, I am gutted. I have many friends at the paper - ex-colleagues who had nothing to do with the phone hacking scandal - who have just found out they will lose their jobs.

"I still believe the paper was home to some of the most talented journalists in the industry and I used to be extremely proud to say I had worked there. However, the latest batch of allegations was sickening and permanently tarnished the name of the paper."
Ed Miliband, leader of the Labour party, remains adamant that News International Chief Executive Rebekah Brooks should lose her job. "Closing down the News of the World does not solve the problem" he told BBC News.

"The fact that she [Brooks] is leading or overseeing the investigation with police beggars belief."
Rupert Murdoch is refusing to comment at this stage as police investigations inquiries are still ongoing.
The BBC has reported that the URLs TheSunOnSunday.co.uk and TheSunOnSunday.com were registered two days ago by an unknown company.
Twitter has become frenzied with people commenting on the newspaper's closure. Former NOTW editor Piers Morgan tweeted: "Shocked and saddened by closure of the News of the World. Scandals of past week indefensible, but has been a great British newspaper."

Flashman wrote:I think this story has lost the capacity to shock. Once you wrap your head around the idea that anyone going through a bad time was a potential target, each new revelation (familes of 7/7 victims, families of war dead, families of every murdered/abducted child in the last decade) is accepted with a weary resignation.

What were we saying about Britain being a great nation again?

The BBC has reported that the URLs TheSunOnSunday.co.uk and TheSunOnSunday.com were registered two days ago by an unknown company."

filbert wrote:

The BBC has reported that the URLs TheSunOnSunday.co.uk and TheSunOnSunday.com were registered two days ago by an unknown company."

NOTW isn't going anywhere, apart from the graphic designers to get a new masthead. That tells you everything about the Murdochs that you will need to no. No-one held accountable, no responsibility taken and absolutely no shame.

Frazzled wrote:
Have faith. If your lawyers are half as good as our lawyers there will be lots of holding accountable. The network will bleed like a stuck pig.