Rupert Murdoch has said he will do “whatever is necessary” to prevent the phone hacking scandal occurring again, as his News Corporation conglomerate reported a rise in annual profits to $2.74bn.

In the Commons, Rupert Murdoch and his son James resembled The Simpsons’ characters Mr Burns and Smithers.

Rupert Murdoch flew into the UK to take personal charge of the phone hacking scandal today as pressure mounted on the Government to freeze News Corporation’s proposed takeover of BSkyB.