News of the World allegedly ‘hacks Dowler phone’

Even cynical media folks have taken a sharp intake of breath at the latest allegations concerning the News of the World hacking Milly Dowler’s phone.

This is a genuinely shocking story and it cannot be the activity just of a rogue reporter and/or a private detective.

There has to be a very strong suspicion that the order has come down from on high for the phone to be hacked. Who exactly ‘on high’ is remains to be seen, indeed we may never know. However, there has to be at least a possibility that it was the then-editor, Rebekah Brooks.

Brooks would not have won many popularity contests anyway, but she is certainly well connected and now very senior in News International.

Does that make her untouchable? Maybe. There is no doubt England’s politicians are scared to death of Rupert Murdoch’s organisation so a senior figure carrying this particular can still seems less than likely.

There has to be a suspicion, though, that the News of the World was using phone hacking as a tool in many circumstances.

Should be an interesting few days.