Britain's Metropolitan Police are seeking an order under the Official Secrets Act to force The Guardian to disclose the confidential sources of its reports on the News of the World phone hacking scandal, the paper said.

The British Prime Miniser David Cameron has said a judge will be appointed to run an independent inquiry into how the News of the World phone hacking scandal was allowed to happen.

The News of the World phone hacking scandal will go to the High Court in Britain later for a judge to decide how the case should proceed.