British police defend handling of tabloid hacking scandal

British police on Friday defended their handling of a phone-hacking scandal involving one of media baron Rupert Murdoch's top papers, after the former deputy premier called for an official inquiry. Fresh questions have been raised by a report in The New York Times newspaper into the hacking of mobile phone voicemails by the News of the World tabloid at the time it was edited by Andy Coulson, who is now the media adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron.
John Prescott, the former British deputy prime minister, said he would seek a judicial review if Scotland Yard did not reveal whether he was one of those targeted by the tabloid, Britain's biggest-selling paper. Clive Goodman, the News of the World's then royal editor, and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed in 2007 after the phone messages of aides to Prince William, second in line to the throne, were illegally accessed. Prominent police, military and sporting figures were also allegedly targeted.