By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:31 AM on 7th July 2011
Widows of Iraq War victims were targeted by the News of the World phone hackers, police believe.
The extraordinary development emerged days after the revelation that the same newspaper was routinely intercepting the voicemails of victims of crime.
Police have allegedly found evidence that disgraced private detective Glenn Mulcaire, who worked for the paper, held phone numbers and addresses of several families linked to the forces.
Last night lawyers for those families and Ministry of Defence officials were in urgent talks with Scotland Yard over the latest twist in an inquiry that is rocking the Westminster and media establishment.
Victim: Sgt Steven Roberts was the first British soldier kil
led in action in Iraq in March 2003. His wife, Samatha, may have had her phone hacked by the News of the World
One victim was said to be Samantha Roberts, whose husband Sergeant Steven Roberts, 33, was the first British soldier killed in action in Iraq in March 2003.
The families of Grenadier Guard soldiers who died on the battlefield have also expressed concerns they have been snooped on, well-placed sources told the Mail.
A senior defence source said: ‘We’re aware of these allegations and are frankly appalled. These people have lost loved ones serving the country and it beggars belief that they should have their private lives raked over so callously. It would be the most disgusting and sickening intrusion.’
As the phone hacking furore continued:
Chancellor George Osborne was told by police last night that his private home number appeared in the Mulcaire files;James Murdoch, son of media tycoon Rupert, and News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks were accused in Parliament of being ‘part of the criminal underworld’; The Prime Minister agreed to demands from Labour leader Ed Miliband for at least one – possibly two – inquiries into the affair;Mr Murdoch’s proposed takeover of broadcaster BSkyB, which was due to be given the green light within days, is set be delayed;Scotland Yard launched an inquiry into bombshell claims that News of the World journalists broke the law by paying corrupt police officers ‘tens of thousands of pounds’ for information;Commercial pressure mounted as a dozen leading companies pul
led advertising from the paper and NewsCorp and BSkyB share prices slumped, wiping ?600million off the Murdoch family fortune;The Met prepared to arrest a ‘very high profile’ media figure. Under pressure: Rebekah Brooks at The Sun's A Night of heroes military awards in 2009
The scandal dominated Westminster yesterday. During a three-hour debate, Labour MP Tom Watson made a series of astonishing allegations that Mrs Brooks had ignored police warnings that her reporters were breaking the law.
Mr Watson, using Parliamentary privilege to make his claims, also said James Murdoch was guilty of perverting the course of justice by paying off hacking victims and trying to destroy News of the World email archives in India.
Hours later, in a highly unusual public statement, Rupert Murdoch responded.
He backed Mrs Brooks but said: ‘Recent allegations of phone hacking and making payments to police with respect to the News of the World are deplorable and unacceptable.
‘I have made clear that our company must fully and proactively co-operate with the police in all investigations and that is exactly what News International has been doing and will continue to do under Rebekah Brooks’s leadership.’
Mr Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg are understood to be wrangling over whether an investigation into the activities and regulation of the media should be led by a judge and require witnesses to take evidence on oath.
Despite the growing political furore, what has really angered MPs is the suggestion that the newspaper was routinely targeting those least able to defend themselves.
Ironically, the Help for Heroes charity, set up in 2007 to help wounded soldiers, was backed by The Sun newspaper while Rebekah Brooks was editor.
Sgt Roberts, from Shipley, West Yorkshire, was shot dead in a ‘friendly fire’ incident in March 2003. He had been ordered to give up his enhanced combat body armour three days before his death, due to shortages.
The inquest uncovered a litany of flaws in Britain’s preparations for the 2003 Iraq invasion after his widow campaigned tirelessly for the truth to emerge.
Other high profile victims seems likely to now emerge. Family and supporters of Jean Charles de Menezes revealed they have asked police to tell them if their phones were targeted after the Brazilian was shot dead by police in July 2005.
Duwayne Brooks, the best friend of Stephen Lawrence, said it would be ‘amazing’ if he was not hacked in the aftermath of the 1993 racist murder.
There were even suggestions that relatives of those lost in the 2004 tsunami in South East Asia were targeted.
Yesterday Labour MP Chris Bryant claimed in the Commons that phones connected to Danielle Jones, a 15-year-old girl murdered by her uncle in 2001, were hacked.
Police sources confirmed that phone messages of a handful of those caught up in the terrorist atrocities of July 7, 2005, may have been intercepted.
Revelations that journalists rooted through private messages as relatives desperately sought information about missing victims provoked renewed anger.
On the eve of the sixth anniversary of the attacks, Graham Foulkes, whose 22-year-old son David was among the 52 killed, said the claims were ‘horrendous’.
Others to be targeted included Sean Cassidy, whose 22-year-old son Ciaran died, Tavistock Square survivor Lisa French and hero Paul Dadge.
Attack: Ed Miliband, left, cal
led for Brooks' head during Prime Minister's Questions today, after David Cameron tried to wrong-foot him by announcing there would be an 'inquiry or inquiries' into the phone hacking scandal
Close: David Cameron has condemned the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone by News of the World investigators while his friend Rebekah Brooks, right, was editor
Scotland Yard has recently advised all 7/7 survivors to change their voicemail security settings.
The developments came after News International yesterday claimed to be 'very close' to identifying which executive at the News of the World authorised the hacking of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s phone as David Cameron announced an inquiry into the scandal.
A spokeswoman said they had uncovered evidence about who allegedly asked private investigator Glenn Mulcaire to access the girl’s voicemail messages after she went missing in 2002. However she refused to give further details.
The current NotW editor Colin Myler is reported to have called a meeting today of his heads of department in which he delivered an emotional speech telling his staff they faced 'an extremely painful period'. Sky News said he told them they would be forced to 'atone for the wrongs of the predecessors.'
In the Commons, Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, said there were rumours circulating that the reason Andy Coulson resigned from Downing Street as Mr Cameron's director of communications was because he knew of the existence of these newly-uncovered emails.
Potential targets: Relatives of London bombings victim David Foulkes, 22, may have been hacked: (L-R) David's sister Jill, girlfriend Stephanie Reid and mother Janet at his funeral
Victim: David Foulkes was kil
led in the explosion near Edgware Road underground station
She then called for Mr Cameron to remove himself from all decisions regarding the public inquiry because his ties to Mr Coulson compromised his impartiality.
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.
'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.
News Corporation shares have opened nearly 3% down at $18 in New York as concerns grow over the possible impact new phone hacking accusations could have on its bid for satellite broadcaster BSkyB.
Shares in BSkyB are also down 19.5p at 825.5p in London on fears the deal may be scuppered by the escalating scandal, which has sparked widespread calls for it to be blocked.
Watchdog Ofcom said it was closely monitoring the allegations as it it had a duty to be satisfied on an ongoing basis that holders of broadcasting licences are 'fit and proper'.
'It is clearly not for Ofcom to investigate matters which properly lie in the hands of the police and the courts, however we are closely monitoring the situation and in particular the investigations by the relevant authorities into the alleged unlawful activities,' it said.
Rupert Murdoch has issued a statement calling the hacking allegations 'deplorable and unacceptable', as he backed Rebekah Brooks to continue as chief executive of News International - the UK arm of News Corp which publishes the News of the World.
'I have made clear that our company must fully and proactively co-operate with the police in all investigations and that is exactly what News International has been doing and will continue to do under Rebekah Brooks' leadership,' his statement said.
'I have also appointed Joel Klein to provide important oversight and guidance and Joel and Viet Dinh, an independent director, are keeping News Corporation's board fully advised as well.'
Mr Murdoch's News Corp currently owns 39% of BskyB but is keen to acquire the rest of the pay-TV group.
His plan was given the green light by the Government last week, although the mogul still faces a battle with shareholders over how much he pays for the broadcaster.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt waved through proposals that will see Sky News run as an independent company to allay fears that the deal would give Mr Murdoch's News Corporation too much control of the media.
A final deadline looms this Friday when Mr Hunt will decide once and for all if the purchase can proceed or whether the Competition Commission will need to pass judgement.
There has been vocal opposition to the deal from rival media outlets, including the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph.
News Corp bid 700p a shares for BSkyB last year, valuing the company at ?12.3bn. However, independent shareholders of BSkyB have made public their view that such a price would significantly undervalue the broadcaster.
'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.'
Tom Watson MP said: 'The whole board of News International is responsible for this company. I believe James Murdoch should be suspended from office while the police now investigate what I believe was his personal authorisation to plan a cover-up of this scandal.
'Mr James Murdoch is the chairman. It is clear now that he personally without board approval authorised money to be paid by his company to silence people who had been hacked and to cover up criminal behaviour within his organisation.
'This is nothing short of an attempt to pervert the course of justice.'
He said officers should ask Mr Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks whether they knew of the attempted destruction of data at a storage facility in Chennai, India.
Mr Watson said: 'James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks now have to accept their culpability and they will have to face the full force of the law.
'Their behaviour to the most vulnerable, their knowledge of law breaking and their failure to act, their links with the criminal underworld, their attempts to cover up law breaking and pay for people's silence tell the world all we need to know about their character.
'That they are not fit and proper persons to control any part of the media in this country.'
Chris Bryant, who led the emergency debate in the Commons, said there were several pressing questions: 'Who is paying Glenn Mulcaire's legal fees?
'What did Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson know and when did they know it?
'Why has so much new information suddenly appeared in NI's archives?
'And did the Prime Minister ask Andy Coulson what went on at the NotW before he employed him on the taxpayers bill.'
He added: 'It needs a public inquiry and it needs it now.'
'I see no reason, other than fear of what it may reveal, for that to not happen.'
He also said the News of the World targeted the case of murder victim Danielle Jones.
Her uncle was convicted of her abduction and murder in 2001.
He said: 'The private voicemail of victims should never be a commodity for a quick story.'
London's Evening Standard newspaper has also learned that three key supporters of the Madeleine McCann campaign were warned that their phones may have been tampered with by investigators working for the News of the World.
News International, the News of the World's publisher, reacted by saying: 'We also welcome today's cross-party calls for a broad public inquiry into standards and practices in the industry.'
As the scandal deepened firms including Aldi, Virgin Holidays, Halifax, Vauxhall and Co-op queued up withdraw advertising from Sunday's News of the World.
It was also announced today that Scotland Yard is to launch a new investigation into allegations that the paper had made 'inappropriate' payments to journalists, after it received new information from News International.
During Prime Minister's Questions Mr Miliband also blasted the decision to allow News International owner Rupert Murdoch to take full control of BSkyB following the allegations against his newspaper, saying it was time the bid was referred to the Competition Commission.
Targeted by hackers? Milly Dowler's mobile phone is alleged to have been hacked and today in Parliament MP Chris Bryant claimed the NOTW also targeted the case of 15-year-old murder victim Danielle Jones
Shocked: The families of murdered schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman may have had their phones hacked by the News of the World
He said: 'He hasn't shown the leadership necessary on BSkyB and he hasn't shown the leadership necessary on News International.'
Mr Cameron maintained the hacking scandal would not affect the multi-billion pound takeover of the broadcaster, adding that the government had followed the correct procedures over the deal due to be approved on Friday.
The man at the centre of one of the most iconic images of the 7/7 London bombings says he has been contacted by police as a possible victim of the News of the World phone hacking scandal.
Paul Dadge (above right), from Cannock, Staffs, was pictured helping a survivor outside Edgware Road Tube Station in 2005 as she held a mask to her face.
Mr Dadge said the e-mail he received from the Metropolitan Police said officers were going through 'copious amounts of records' and may be back in touch.
'I'm disappointed, very very disappointed on a personal level to be honest,' he said.
'I have always co-operated with the media in anything they wanted and now to find they might have violated my personal life, it's not nice.
'The girl in the photo, Davinia Turrell, wasn't talking to the press, they tried to get at her through me.'
News International executives said yesterday they have uncovered evidence about who allegedly asked private investigator Glenn Mulcaire to illegally access the murdered schoolgirl's voicemail messages after she went missing in 2002.
Simon Greenberg, the company's director of corporate affairs, told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'We are very close to, we believe, identifying an individual or individuals who potentially commissioned this act.'
He refused to say whether those involved still work for the News of the World or News International.
But asked whether he was clear that the hacking was not commissioned by News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, who was News of the World editor at the time, Mr Greenberg said: 'We are clear.'
The 7/7 revelations - a day before the sixth anniversary of the atrocity - will pile further pressure on Ms Brooks to resign.
Yesterday morning senior industry figures were in disbelief that she had not gone already.
She has claimed to have no knowledge of the actions of the journalists and investigators involved.
News International has been accused of attempting to distract attention from the phone hacking scandal by passing a dossier to the police detailing potentially illegal payments to detectives.
But the file, which is reported to show a series of payments were made by the News of the World to serving police officers in return for information, has sparked a new investigation by Scotland Yard.
Sir Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, today announced an investigation into 'inappropriate' payments made to officers.
He said evidence handed over by the newspaper publisher last month suggested a 'small number' of officers were involved.
His statement follows allegations that former Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson 'condoned' payments to police while he was editor at the News of the World.
The police chief warned that 'anyone identified of wrongdoing' as part of the inquiry 'can expect the full weight of disciplinary measures and, if appropriate, action through the criminal courts'.
Scotland Yard has launched an inquiry into bombshell claims that News of the World journalists paid corrupt police officers ‘tens of thousands of pounds’.
The probe started after News International, publishers of the Sunday paper, handed over documents suggesting ‘inappropriate’ payments had been made to police.
Details of the inquiry were revealed yesterday by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson, hours after it was alleged that former Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson ‘condoned’ secret payments to police officers while he was editor of the News of the World.
Emails seen by the BBC indicated Mr Coulson authorised cash hand-outs to police officers. Met insiders said a small number of junior officers – possibly as few as five – are suspected of taking bribes for information.
'Hacked off': British actor Hugh Grant, right, speaks with an unidentified campaigner outside the Houses of Parliament in London this afternoon
Anti-corruption detectives are trying to establish their identities, and whether they were paid in cash or through payments directly into their bank accounts.
As part of their inquiries, they will also seek to find out which journalists sought authorisation for the payments, and whether the money was ever handed over. The development marks a new low in the News of the World phone hacking scandal, and raises new questions about the conduct of some of the Sunday paper’s journalists.
Intercepting mobile phone voice messages carries a jail sentence of up to two years. But anyone suspected of giving cash to police officers, in return for favours, faces the possibility of being charged with aiding and abetting misconduct in public office – a ‘common law’ offence which normally carries a jail sentence of between three to five years.
Sir Paul said in a statement: ‘I can confirm that on June 20, 2011, the Met was handed a number of documents by News International, through their barrister, Lord Macdonald QC.
‘Our initial assessment shows that these documents include information relating to alleged inappropriate payments to a small number of Met officers.’
The Yard boss warned that ‘anyone identified of wrongdoing’ as part of the inquiry ‘can expect the full weight of disciplinary measures and, if appropriate, action through the criminal courts’.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is liaising with the Met over the claims, which heap more embarrassment on News International’s chief executive, Rebekah Brooks.
In March 2003, when she was editor of The Sun, she admitted to the Commons culture committee: ‘We have paid the police for information in the past.’
Mr Coulson, who had just taken over from her as editor of the News of the World, cut in to say: ‘We operate within the code and within the law and if there is a clear public interest then we will.’
In April this year, Mrs Brooks tried to ‘clarify’ what she had meant in a letter to the Home Affairs Committee, in which she claimed she had been speaking in general terms about the newspaper industry, not her own title.
Last night a News International spokesman refused to discuss what evidence of police bungs had been passed to the Met.
A senior detective has been told that he was targeted by the News of the World as he investigated an unsolved murder that implicated private investigators linked to the paper.
Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook and his partner Jacqui Hames, a Crimewatch presenter, are alleged to have had their personal details taken by surveillance teams at the paper in 2002.
The paper is understood to have been investigating whether the pair were having an affair or covert relationship when in fact they were already married.
Watched: Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook has been told his personal details were intercepted by the Sunday newspaper while it attempted to find out if he was having an affair with Jacqui Hames, his wife
Det Chief Supt Cook had been investigating the still unsolved murder of Daniel Morgan who was found with an axe in his head in a pub car park in Sydenham, south London in 1987.
A number of private investigators who had 'close links' to the News of the World are understood to have been suspects at the time.
The paper's editor Rebekah Brooks is reported to have attended a subsequent meeting between the Metropolitan police after which the hacking allegations went no further.
Det Chief Supt Cook said police told him two months ago that he had been tracked by the paper.
Alastair Morgan, the brother of murdered private investigator Daniel Morgan said he spoke to Det Chief Supt Dave Cook often during the investigation.
'Dave told me about it, he told me about it then but I didn't realise who the newspaper was at that point,' Mr Morgan told Channel 4 News.
Mobile numbers, payroll details and other personal information are claimed to have been taken by private detectives working for the paper.
Ms Brooks is alleged to have later attended a meeting with senior police figures after details of the detective being stalked came to light. However, no details were made public and no action was ever taken against her.
