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Police say News of the World hacked Milly Dowler phone Police say News of the World hacked Milly Dowler phone
(40 minutes later)
The News of the World got Milly Dowler's mobile phone number from school friends, says Surrey Police.The News of the World got Milly Dowler's mobile phone number from school friends, says Surrey Police.
In a letter to MPs, the force says that in 2002 its officers did not give the newspaper messages from the murdered schoolgirl's voicemail.In a letter to MPs, the force says that in 2002 its officers did not give the newspaper messages from the murdered schoolgirl's voicemail.
The allegation that the newspaper accessed the phone is at the heart of the hacking investigation.The allegation that the newspaper accessed the phone is at the heart of the hacking investigation.
The document for MPs does not say why the force did not investigate the paper after learning it had hacked the phone.The document for MPs does not say why the force did not investigate the paper after learning it had hacked the phone.
The letter does not cover what happened to the voicemails and who was responsible for deletions, an event that gave the 13-year-old's parents false hope that she was still alive.The letter does not cover what happened to the voicemails and who was responsible for deletions, an event that gave the 13-year-old's parents false hope that she was still alive.
Last year, Surrey Police confirmed the News of the World called the force in April 2002 revealing it had a recording obtained by accessing the then-missing schoolgirl's voicemail.Last year, Surrey Police confirmed the News of the World called the force in April 2002 revealing it had a recording obtained by accessing the then-missing schoolgirl's voicemail.
In a detailed 16-page letter published by MPs, the force sets out a series of conversations at the height of the hunt for Milly Dowler, between Surrey Police and the News of the World.In a detailed 16-page letter published by MPs, the force sets out a series of conversations at the height of the hunt for Milly Dowler, between Surrey Police and the News of the World.
Tearful callTearful call
A journalist from the newspaper contacted the force almost a month after her disappearance, revealing information relating to a specific voicemail relating to a recruitment agency. A journalist from the newspaper contacted the force almost a month after Milly's disappearance, revealing information relating to a specific voicemail relating to a recruitment agency.
The voicemail appeared to suggest that Milly Dowler had registered with the agency. but Police later found the message had been left in a chance error and had in fact been meant for somebody else. The voicemail appeared to suggest that Milly Dowler had registered with the agency and was looking for work. The News of the World intended to report this as a potential lead in the hunt for the missing teenager.
However, the police did not know about this voicemail until the journalist brought it to the police's attention. The journalist said they knew it was a recording from Milly's phone because some of her friends had confirmed both her number and pin. Police later found the message had been a complete error that was irrelevant to the investigation. A member of staff at the agency had accidentally dialled a wrong number.
The police did not know about the voicemail or the recruitment agency until the journalist brought it to the police's attention. The journalist said they knew it was a recording from Milly's phone because some of her friends had confirmed both her number and pin.
The reporter also told the police that other voicemail messages on Milly's phone included a "tearful relative", a young boy and someone saying "It's America, take it or leave it".The reporter also told the police that other voicemail messages on Milly's phone included a "tearful relative", a young boy and someone saying "It's America, take it or leave it".
The officer stressed to the reporter the NoW was probably being subjected to a hoax. The submission to MPs reveals that somebody from the newspaper called the recruitment agency and falsely said they were assisting police. As publication neared, the paper fabricated a statement from the force.
In the letter, the force says: "The information [in the voicemail] was not provided to the NoW by Surrey Police. The NoW obtained that information by accessing Milly Dowler's voicemail. The message [referred to by the journalist] was left after Surrey Police had last [legally] accessed Milly Dowler's voicemail." The report also reveals that an unknown woman called the recruitment agency, posing as Milly's mother in an effort to get information about the missing girl.
Last year, Surrey's then chief constable Mark Rowley defended his force's decision not to investigate the newspaper at the time that the journalist had spoken to the police. In September 2011, the newspaper's former legal manager Tom Crone told MPs that the newspaper could have got the voicemail information from Surrey Police.
In a letter to MPs, Mr Rowley said: "At that time, the focus and priority of the investigation was to find Milly, who had then been missing for over three weeks and significant resources were deployed to achieve this objective. But in its letter to MPs, the force says: "The information [in the voicemail] was not provided to the NoW by Surrey Police.
"I can confirm that Surrey Police did not launch a criminal investigation into how the NoW came by the information it provided Operation Ruby with in April 2002 and that Surrey Police neither arrested nor charged anyone in relation to accessing Milly Dowler's voicemail." "The NoW obtained that information by accessing Milly Dowler's voicemail. The message [referred to by the journalist] was left after Surrey Police had last [legally] accessed Milly Dowler's voicemail."
But he also revealed in the letter the force did not pass on this information to the Metropolitan Police during its original 2006 phone hacking investigation that led to the jailing of a journalist and private investigator. In a statement, the Dowler family said: "The report indicates that the police force were aware of a caller purporting to be Sally Dowler seeking information in 2002. No doubt there will be current investigations as to who that was as it was not Sally Dowler.
"Surrey Police have not explained why they did not investigate that deception in 2002. No thought seems to have been given to the effect on the Dowler family."
And John Whittingdale MP, chairman of the Culture Media and Sport Committee which released the account, said: "What [the letter] appears to tell is that several journalists at the News of the World were involved in hacking the voicemails left on Milly Dowler's phone.
"They did so in pursuit of a story rather than wanting to help the police with their inquiries. It appears as if they may have actually interfered or impeded the police in their investigations into what turned into a murder inquiry because they went on claiming they had evidence Milly Dowler was still alive."