Terrorism victims targeted in tabloid hacking

Scotland Yard has begun contacting the relatives of the July 7 2005 London bombings as part of its investigation into the New of the World phone hacking scandal.

The Guardian reported Wednesday that family members of victims may have had their phone messages intercepted by Glenn Mulcaire, who was employed by the tabloid to break into the voicemail accounts of politicians, celebrities and as it emerged yesterday – victims of crime.

As relatives and victims prepared to mark the 6th anniversary of the bombings, the news has comes as a “terrible shock” according to family representatives.

Graham Foulkes, whose son David was killed in the attack at Edgware Road tube station told the Guardian he had been contacted by police who were investigating the phone tapping allegations.

He said police told him his cell phone number, landline number and address had been found in records made by Mulcaire.

According to a report in the Telegraph, a “handful” of the 52 victim’s families may have been affected by telephone hacking.

While relatives were waiting for information as to whether their loved ones were still alive, hackers were able to access voicemail information to use in news stories, according to reports.

In what the BBC calls a “significant development” in the case, emails have been passed onto authorities which may indicate that some police received payments by the newspaper group behind the hacking scandal.

Owners of News of the World have passed to the police e-mails which appear to show that payments were authorized by the then editor, Andy Coulson.

The allegations of the past two days have rocked the British public, the media, the police and politicians.

MPs will hold an emergency debate inquiry into media standards and phone hacking in the House of Commons shortly.

Some advertisers have expressed their disapproval of the practice of phone hacking.

Motor company Ford has withdrawn advertising from News of the World and other advertisers, including the bank Halifax were also reconsidering their relationship with the paper.