The Leveson Inquiry has begun taking evidence from high-profile victims of alleged phone-hacking, beginning with the testimony of the parents of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, who were led to believe their daughter was still alive when News of the World journalists deleted messages from her voicemail inbox.

Before Milly’s fate was known, Bob and Sally Dowler were encouraged that their daughter was still alive when messages left by panicked family and friends were deleted, leaving room for new messages. Sally Dowler told the Leveson Inquiry: “It clicked through on to her voicemail so I heard her voice and [said] ‘she’s picked up her voicemail Bob, she’s alive’.”

She added: “I told my friends: ‘She’s picked up her voicemail, she’s picked up her voicemail.’”

The Dowlers also claimed their own phones had been hacked, after pictures were published of a private walk taken seven weeks after their daughter’s disappearance.

Details were also revealed of the Dowlers’ “very tense” meeting with News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch after the News of the World was shut down.

“He was very sincere,” said Sally Dowler about Murdoch, who agreed to pay £2million in compensation to the family and a further personal donation of £1million to charities chosen by the Dowlers.

Other witnesses giving evidence today include actor Hugh Grant, the solicitor for footballer Ashely Cole and journalist Joan Smith.

(Source: MediaGuardian)

Image taken by Flickr user ssoosay, licenced under Creative Commons.

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