James Murdoch admitted today that News International’s corporate systems failed to pick up on legal risks posed by its papers’ methods of finding stories.

JAMES MURDOCH knew more than three years ago that phone hacking at News Corp’s News of the World went beyond one “rogue” reporter, the company’s ex-chief British legal counsel told politicians, contradicting denials by Murdoch.

Senior executives at News International were “surprised” to hear claims from jailed former News of the World royal correspondent Clive Goodman that phone hacking was widespread at the paper, the company’s former personnel chief told MPs today.