‘Police knew of Dowler hacking in 2002’

THE police force that investigated the murder of Milly Dowler was last night accused of knowing in 2002 that the schoolgirl’s phone was hacked.

Claims were made by The Independent newspaper that detectives involved with the case were informed nine years ago that the News of the World (NOTW) had accessed her voicemails, but that they took no action.

Allegations that the murdered teenager’s phone messages were hacked only emerged publicly in early July this year.