James Murdoch 'misled MPs' over how much he really knew about News of the World phone hacking

In evidence to a powerful Commons committee last month, James Murdoch said the highly-respected legal firm Harbottle & Lewis had effectively given News International ‘a clean bill of health’ following a review of emails relating to the phone-hacking scandal.

But a devastating collection of hitherto private correspondence between the London solicitors and the publishers of the News of the World blows apart his claims.

The documents leave him, his father Rupert and former News of the World editor Andy Coulson facing hugely embarrassing new allegations of deception and a monumental cover-up