Met police reopen investigation into phone hacking at News of the World

Murdoch tabloid gives 'significant new evidence' to Scotland Yard as senior newsman Ian Edmondson is sacked

Scotland Yard reopened its investigation into phone hacking today four years after the only convictions in the case after the News of the World passed on "significant new information" alleged to implicate one of the paper's top executives in the practice.

Shortly afterwards the paper announced that it had sacked its assistant editor (news), Ian Edmondson. This came hard on the heels of the arrival in London of its proprietor, Rupert Murdoch, said to be in town to deal with both the phone-hacking scandal that has engulfed the paper and his corporation's bid to take complete control of BSkyB.

The sacking, and the new police investigation, come after 18 months of Guardian reports into allegations of widespread phone hacking at the News of the World.

Until shortly before Christmas the paper had always alleged that only one rogue reporter and a private investigator were involved in the practice, and the police had repeatedly insisted that there was no evidence available to link any other News Corporation employees with hacking.

Tonight a source close to the new police investigation said the latest evidence passed to the Metropolitan police so far amounted to only a small number of emails, although detectives believe there may be many more.

"It's hard to believe these are the only ones. There may be a shedload of shit still to come," said one source.

Part of the fresh police inquiry will look at whether this new evidence should have been uncovered by the original investigation, undertaken by the Met's former assistant commissioner Andy Hayman. Some officers are understood to feel that Hayman's team did not investigate sufficiently thoroughly at the time.

Last night a senior Tory launched a strong attack on the police for failing to carry out a proper investigation of the phone-hacking allegations the first time around.

John Whittingdal! e, chair man of the Commons culture select committee which last year accused News International of "collective amnesia" over the allegations expressed astonishment that the Yard had finally decided to act, given the evidence in a range of documents in its possession for the last five years.

"I find it utterly extraordinary that the police have been sitting on these documents for five years and did absolutely nothing about them," Whittingdale said.

"I think they generally accepted News International's excuse that there was just one rogue reporter. But the police were sitting on documents that implicate Ian Edmondson and they did not question him."

Whittingdale said today's dramatic developments also raised questions for Andy Coulson, who announced his resignation as the Downing Street communications director last week, and Rebekah Brooks, the News International chief executive.

The announcement by the Yard came just a few hours after David Cameron endorsed the director of public prosecutions' separate decision earlier this week to widen inquiries.

The prime minister told MPs: "Let me be absolutely clear: phone hacking is wrong and illegal, and it is quite right that the director of public prosecutions is reviewing all the evidence, which should be followed wherever it leads.

"I do not think it is necessarily fair to say the police have not been active after all, there have been prosecutions, convictions, and indeed imprisonments but the law is quite clear and the prosecuting authorities should follow it wherever it leads."

News International indicated that it had acted after an internal investigation, which involved a trawl through Edmondson's emails, allegedly revealed correspondence relating to hacking.

A source close to the investigation said the emails could be interpreted as showing Edmondson was aware of phone hacking and came in evidence from Burton Copeland, a firm of solicitors hired to carry out the investigation, on Monday morning.

The new police! investi gation will be lead by deputy assistant commissioner Sue Akers, who is a specialist in tackling organised criminal gangs. Scotland Yard has decided to transfer the investigation from the specialist operations division, led by John Yates, to the specialist crime directorate.

Yard insiders say Yates's replacement is not a sign of his having failed. Rather, he is acting as deputy commissioner and heads the Yard's counter-terrorism operation at a time when the threat level is severe roles more deserving of his time than chasing a tabloid over allegations of phone hacking.Goodman was jailed in January 2007 along with private investigator Glenn Mulcaire after both men pleaded guilty to intercepting voicemails left on mobile phones belonging to members of the Royal household.

Murdoch arrived in London over the weekend and has been meeting with executives at News International, which owns his UK titles, including the Sun and News of the World, since his arrival.

He is likely to spend all week in London as he attempts to get to grips with the hacking scandal after deciding not to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Murdoch is also expected to lead negotiations with the Government over a planned takeover by his media conglomerate News Corp of pay-TV company BSkyB.

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said this week he was "minded" to refer the bid to the Competition Commission for further investigation after receiving a report by media regulator Ofcom which said the deal could be against the public interest.

Hunt said he wanted to consider proposals put forward by News Corp that would make a referral unnecessary, however. Hunt's officials say he has no plans to meet with Murdoch.

News International confirmed it had "terminated the employment" of Edmondson, who was suspended in December while the internal investigation was carried out.

"Material evidence found during the course of the subsequent investigation has led to! Mr Edmo ndson's dismissal" the company said in a statement. "News International has informed the police, handed over the material it has found and will give its full cooperation going forward. News International reiterates that it will take swift and decisive action when we have proof of wrongdoing."

Downing Street sources stressed that the prime minister had no knowledge of the Yard announcement when he made his comments in the commons. The prime minister found out about the Yard statement from Sky News.

No 10 sources say the new evidence does not implicate Coulson who said last week that his resignation had not been prompted by new disclosures. The sources said that Cameron, who has no plans to meet Rupert Murdoch during his visit to London this week, had not discussed the phone hacking allegations when he met Brooks for dinner at her Oxfordshire home over the Christmas period.

Ivan Lewis, the shadow culture secretary, said: "The integrity of the media goes to the very heart of our democracy. That is why I welcome this new police investigation and the willingness of News International to face up to their responsibilities. It is important they continue to co-operate fully with the police until the truth is finally established and justice prevails."

Tom Watson, a Labour member of the culture select committee who called on Tuesday for the DPP to launch an investigation into whether the Yard and News International have perverted the course of justice, said: "I sincerely hope that News International do not think that sacking one assistant editor means that this is the end of the story. There are clearly people in the organisation who know more about phone hacking. If they are serious about getting to the bottom of this we need to hear about them. Andy Coulson has assured a parliamentary enquiry that he was not involved nor had any knowledge of phone hacking. He said that under oath in a court of law so I am going to take him at his word."