Phone hacking: The main players

Claims of phone hacking at the News of the World have thrust the newspaper's owners, News Corporation, its UK arm, News International, and its journalists directly into the spotlight. The Met Police have identified more than 4,000 possible victims. A separate Scotland Yard investigation is also looking into claims of inappropriate payments made to police.

Hacking scandal: Key figures
Name	Job/position	Connection to phone-hacking investigation
Rupert Murdoch	Chief executive, News Corporation	The News of the World (NoW) was part of Rupert Murdoch's News International newspaper group - itself the UK arm of the media mogul's News Corporation global empire. The 81-year-old Australian-American flew to the UK to take charge of the phone-hacking crisis. During questioning by MPs, he said he was not aware of the extent of phone hacking at the NoW and he had "clearly" been misled by some of his staff. Read full profile
Rebekah Brooks (nee Wade)	Former chief executive, News International	News International's former chief executive and former NoW editor. Mrs Brooks was the NoW editor when voicemails of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's mobile phone were allegedly intercepted. Mrs Brooks was arrested on 17 July 2011 over phone hacking and corruption allegations. She was released on bail rearrested on 13 March 2012 on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Questioned by MPs in 2011, she said News International had acted "quickly and decisively" in dealing with the hacking scandal and that she had never sanctioned payments to the police. Read full profile
James Murdoch	Deputy chief operating officer of News Corporation. Left post as News International chairman in Feb 2012	Rupert Murdoch's son James resigned as News International's chairman in February 2012. He had reiterated the company was fully co-operating with police investigations and he was not, until recently, in the picture about the full extent of wrongdoing at the NoW. Announcing the closure of the Sunday tabloid, he said the allegations were "shocking and hugely regrettable". He told MPs the firm had failed to live up to "the standards they aspired to" and he was "determined to put things right". Following further allegations about his involvement in the scandal, he was recalled to appear before MPs again and denied suggestions by Labour MP Tom Watson that News International had operated under a mafia-esque code of silence. He remains deputy chief operating officer of News Corp. Read full profile
Les Hinton	Former chief executive, Dow Jones	Les Hinton was chief executive of News Corp's financial news service Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal. One of Rupert Murdoch's top executives, Mr Hinton had worked with him for more than five decades. Announcing he was quitting, he said he was "ignorant of what apparently happened" but felt it was proper to resign. Mr Murdoch said it brought him "great sadness". Read more
Andy Coulson	NoW editor 2003-07	Andy Coulson, who was NoW editor between 2003-07, resigned from his position following the convictions of ex-NoW royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire for phone hacking. He later became Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman but quit in January 2011 saying ongoing hacking claims were distracting him from his job. Mr Coulson was arrested in July 2011 over phone hacking and corruption allegations. He has been released on bail until March 2012. He is suing NoW after it stopped paying his legal fees in relation to the scandal. Read full profile
Glenn Mulcaire	Private investigator	A private investigator employed by the NoW, Glenn Mulcaire, 41, was jailed in January 2007 for phone hacking. He admitted unlawfully intercepting voicemail messages received by three royal aides. He was also convicted of hacking the phones of a number of other public figures, including publicist Max Clifford and actress Elle Macpherson. In July 2011, allegations emerged he had also hacked into murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's mobile phone and had the phone numbers of relatives of service personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rearrested on suspicion of conspiracy to hack voicemail messages and perverting the course of justice in December 2011. He was released on bail until March 2012. Read full profile
Clive Goodman	Ex-NoW royal editor	The former NoW royal editor was jailed for four months in 2007 for phone hacking. He admitted unlawfully intercepting hundreds of telephone voicemail messages received by three members of staff at Buckingham Palace. The investigation was sparked after Prince William became suspicious about a November 2005 NoW story about a knee injury. In July 2011, Goodman, 53, was again arrested on suspicion of corruption. He was released on bail until March 2012. Read more
Tom Crone	Former NoW legal manager	Tom Crone told MPs he had informed James Murdoch as far back as 2008 of an email that implied hacking at the paper went beyond one rogue reporter - contrary to Mr Murdoch's earlier evidence. James Murdoch has said he stands by his original testimony to MPs. Read more
Other journalists and staff
Name	Job/position	Connection to phone-hacking investigation
Ian Edmondson	Ex-NoW assistant editor (news)	The former NoW assistant editor was identified in court documents as having instructed private investigator Glenn Mulcaire to access phone messages. He was sacked from the paper after an internal inquiry had found "highly damaging evidence", a source said. He was arrested in April 2011 on suspicion of unlawfully intercepting mobile phone voicemail messages, and was released on bail until March 2012. He is lodging a complaint with an employment tribunal against News International alleging unfair dismissal. Read more
Neville Thurlbeck	Ex-NoW chief reporter	Neville Thurlbeck, former chief reporter at the NoW, was named by Labour MP Tom Watson in January 2011 as one of three journalists who should be investigated. He was not included as part of the original inquiry as police said there was no evidence linking him to the case. He was arrested in April 2011 on suspicion of unlawfully intercepting mobile phone voicemail messages and released on bail until March 2012. He is lodging a complaint with an employment tribunal against News International alleging unfair dismissal. Read more
James Weatherup	Ex-NoW reporter	The former NoW reporter and news editor was arrested on 14 April on suspicion of conspiracy to unlawfully intercept communications. He was released on bail until March 2012. Read more
Neil Wallis	Ex-NoW deputy editor	Neil Wallis was arrested by police on 14 July 2011 on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and later bailed. His media consultancy company - Chamy Media - was used by the Met Police from October 2009 until September 2010. The Conservative Party released a statement saying Mr Wallis may have also offered informal advice to Andy Coulson - David Cameron's ex-communications chief - before the last election. Read more
Terenia Taras	Freelance journalist	The freelance journalist was arrested on 23 June and later bailed as part of investigations into phone hacking. Read more
Unnamed 63-year-old man	Role unknown	The unnamed man was arrested on 8 July and bailed until March 2012 as part of investigations into phone hacking and corruption. Read more
Sean Hoare	Former NoW reporter Deceased	The former NoW journalist publicly admitted his part in phone hacking. He told the New York Times the practice of phone hacking was far more extensive than the newspaper acknowledged when police first investigated the case. He also told the BBC's Panorama it was "endemic" at the paper. Sean Hoare also said Andy Coulson, as editor, had asked him to hack phones. Mr Coulson has denied any knowledge of hacking. Mr Hoare was found dead in his home on 18 July 2011. Read more
Paul McMullan	Ex-NoW deputy features editor	The NoW deputy features editor between 1994 and 2001, Paul McMullan has spoken about the use of phone hacking on the paper, describing its investigations department as a "den of vipers". Watch the interview In November 2011 he told the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics that hacking was carried out with the full knowledge of NoW editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, and described them as "the scum of journalism for trying to drop me and my colleagues in it".
Alex Marunchak	Ex-NoW Irish edition editor	The Met has confirmed Alex Marunchak worked for the force as a part-time Ukrainian translator between 1980 and 2000. Earlier this year, Mr Marunchak denied allegations he had obtained emails hacked into by a private detective and paid an agency for news stories based on confidential police information. Read more
Stuart Kuttner	Former NoW managing editor	Stuart Kuttner served as the NoW's managing editor for 22 years before resigning in July 2009 to focus on "specialised projects", including the paper's Sarah's Law campaign. His departure came shortly before the Guardian's revelation that News International had paid out £1m to victims of phone hacking. Arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and corruption. He was released on bail until March 2012. Read more
Greg Miskiw	Former NoW news editor	Greg Miskiw, 61, was arrested after visiting a police station by appointment. He was held on suspicion of unlawful interception of communications and conspiring to intercept communications. He was released on bail until March 2012. Read more
James Desborough	Former NoW showbiz writer	James Desborough joined the NoW in 2005 and later became the LA-based US editor. He attended a south London police station by appointment on 18 August and was held on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications. He was released on bail until March 2012. Read more
Dan Evans	Former NoW feature writer	Dan Evans was questioned on 19 August in connection with phone-hacking allegations. He was arrested by appointment at a London police station and was later released on bail until March 2012. He joined the NoW in 2005 and was suspended in April 2010. Read more
Raoul Simons	Sports journalist	Raoul Simons, who used to work at London's Evening Standard before moving to the Times in 2009, was arrested in September in connection with the phone-hacking investigation and released on bail. It is understood Mr Simons has not been accused of inappropriate behaviour while at the Times. Read more
Unnamed 30-year-old	Role unknown	The unnamed man was arrested in September on suspicion of conspiracy to intercept voicemail messages and attempting to pervert the course of justice. The arrest took place by appointment at a north London police station. He was bailed until January 2012. Read more
Cheryl Carter	Executive assistant	Scotland Yard said a 47-year-old woman was arrested in Essex on 6 January 2012 on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice. The BBC understands she is Cheryl Carter. Ms Carter worked for Rebekah Brooks, Stuart Kuttner and Neil Wallis. Ms Carter had worked for Mrs Brooks for almost two decades before they both left in July 2011. Read more
Police officers and staff involved in hacking inquiry
Name	Job/position	Connection to phone-hacking investigation
Sir Paul Stephenson	Former Met Police Commissioner	Britain's most senior police officer faced criticism for hiring former NoW deputy editor Neil Wallis - who was questioned by police investigating hacking - as a PR adviser. Sir Paul Stephenson eventually said his links to the journalist could hamper investigations and resigned. He has been cleared by the police watchdog of misconduct over his handling of the hacking inquiry. Read more
John Yates	Former Met Police Assistant Commissioner	Assistant Commissioner John Yates ruled out a further inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal in 2009. He has since expressed "extreme regret" for not reopening the investigation. He resigned on 18 July. He has been cleared of misconduct by the police watchdog over his handling of the hacking inquiry, and cleared of misconduct following claims he secured a job for Neil Wallis's daughter. Read more
Dick Fedorcio	Scotland Yard communications chief	The Met's head of public affairs has been placed on a period of extended leave while the Independent Police Complaints Commission investigates his links to Neil Wallis, whose company was given a contract to provide PR advice to the Met in 2009. Read more
Sue Akers	Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner	The current police hacking investigation, called Operation Weeting, is being led by Sue Akers. Under her lead, detectives are contacting nearly 4,000 people whose personal details were stored by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire. Read more
Andy Hayman	Former Met Police Assistant Commissioner	Andy Hayman was involved in the original hacking inquiry. MPs have criticised his handling of the investigation. He denies there has been anything "improper" about his decision to write columns for News International after he retired from the Met. Read more

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