Police launch investigation into computer hacking

Scotland Yard is widening its probe into illegal phone hacking by setting up a team of officers to investigate a number of cyber crime claims.

The Metroplitan Police said there had been privacy breach claims since January which fell outside the remit of Operation Weeting, which is looking into phone hacking.

As a result, a new team of officers will investigate the latest computer hacking claims and will report to deputy assistant commissioner Sue Akers, who heads up Operation Weeting.

Meanwhile, the private investigator at the centre of the News Of The World (NOTW) hacking claims acted "on the instructions of others", his legal team said.

Glenn Mulcaire's lawyers strongly rejected suggestions he "unilaterally" hacked into voicemails of victims without the newspaper's knowledge.

There will be a new team reporting to DAC Sue Akers. The formation of that team is yet to take place."

Operation Tuleta first came to public attention last June when Channel 4 News reported the code name in relation to a "scoping exercise" by the Metropolitan Police into the interception of emails and hacking into computer files.

The programme claimed that one alleged victim was a former undercover agent who infiltrated the IRA.

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick responded by claiming officers were undertaking a "formal assessment" of the claims to determine whether a criminal investigation would be appropriate.

It comes as the mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne said she was "very distressed" after being told she may have had her phone hacked by the private investigator at the centre of the phone-hacking allegations.

The then editor of the News of the World Rebekah Brooks has said it was "unthinkable" anyone at the paper knew about the hacking of Ms Payne's phone.