Fresh probe in Britain into phone-hacking claims

A NEW inquiry into allegations that public figures had their phones hacked was launched yesterday.

Keith Vaz, Commons Home Affairs Select Committee chairman, said it was acting after John Yates, one of Britain’s top police officers, raised questions over the law as he gave evidence to the committee yesterday morning.

The inquiry will focus on the police response, the ease of prosecuting such offences, and the treatment of victims after it emerged the New York Times refused to co-operate with British police looking into allegations of phone-hacking made by the newspaper last week.