NOTW Sean Hoare found dead - was he murdered?

That is the question that lots of people will be asking.

After the past few days you start to wonder whether you’re suddenly watching one of the Godfather movies.

Hoare, a former NOTW showbiz reporter who was the first to suggest phone hacking was endemic at the News of the World, had issues with drink and drugs, it has been reported. This was partly a result of the fact that his job demanded he spent his nights carousing with rock stars in order to get stories.

Also today the rather weird story of Rebekah Brooks’ bag (or her husband’s bag, or someone’s bag) being found in a bin in a luxury condo in Chelsea.

It was then handed to police, allegedly much to Charlie Brooks’ chagrin. Not sure whether Charlie should worry too much, even if there is donkey porn on there. The way things are going it will be a police superintendent and a leading Tory politician spit-roasting the forlornly braying beast and it will be quietly hushed up.

The donkey, meanwhile, will be found face down in the Manchester ship canal.

And on the subject of leading Tories... ’tis very quiet out there. Not much from Gideon or Billy the Haig at the minute. Heads being kept below the parapet until barrage blows over.

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.