Rebekah Brooks “sorry” over News of the World phone hacking

Former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks is being questioned by British lawmakers over the phone-hacking scandal, after nearly three hours of testimony from Rupert and James Murdoch.

(GlobalPost reports: Rupert Murdoch calls inquiry appearance his "most humble day", Text of Rupert Murdoch's statement)

Brooks, who resigned last week, began with an apology to lawmakers for the scandal involving intercepted telephone messages, the Globe and Mail reports.

She was the editor of the News of the World during the time that the cellphone of murdered British schoolgirl Milly Dowler was hacked in search of material for news stories.

The Economic Times reports these quotes:

"I would like to add my own personal apologies to the apologies that James and Rupert Murdoch have made today … Allegations of voice intercepts, internet intercepts of victims of crime is pretty horrific and abhorrent and I wanted to reiterate that."

Asked if she had any regrets, Brooks said:

"Of course I have regrets, the idea that Milly Dowler's phone was accessed by someone getting paid by the News of the World, or even worse authorized by someone at the News of the World, is as abhorrent to me as it is to everyone in this room. I also regret the speed in which we have found out, or tried to find out the bottom of this investigation, has been too slow."

Brooks also said she had never knowingly sanctioned a payoff to a police officer. However:

"The News of the World employed private detectives like most newspapers in Fleet Street.

"I was aware the News of the World used private detectives under my editorship."