Two former News of the World executives have hit back at their 'disingenuous' former boss James Murdoch

Two former News of the World executives have hit back at their 'disingenuous' former boss James Murdoch as a bitter war of words engulfs the media empire.

The paper's former editor Colin Myler and ex-legal manager Tom Crone claim that they made Mr Murdoch aware of widespread hacking within the organisation as long ago as 2008.

But Mr Murdoch told MPs yesterday he 'disputed vigorously' the claims from Mr Myler and Mr Crone that they revealed the significance of an email indicating the practice was widespread.

The meeting in June 2008 centres on the 'For Neville' email which contained transcripts of hacked messages from the mobile phone of Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association. This email was apparently intended for chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck.

Coming out fighting: Former News of the World editor Colin Myler, left, and Tom Crone, former legal manager of News International say James Murdoch was told in 2008 about widespread hacking 

 

Denials: News Corp executive James Murdoch protests his innocence to MPs during a second round of questioning in front of the Commons Culture Committee yesterday

Had Mr Murdoch been fully briefed about the contents of the message it would have been clear to him that hacking was not limited to the single 'rogue' reporter, Clive Goodman, who was jailed in 2007.

Mr Myler and Mr Crone say he knew about the contents of the email. Mr Murdoch says he did not.

After the meeting, a payment of  £425,000 was made to Mr Taylor in return for a confidentiality agreement that prevents him from discussing the matter.

TIMELINE OF THE EVIDENCE

• Royal reporter Clive Goodman is jailed for hacking in 2007
  
• News of the World insists the activity was limited to one 'rogue' reporter
  
•  The 'For Neville' email is discussed with James Murdoch at meeting on June 10 2008
• £425,000 is payed in an out-of-court settlement to PFA boss Gordon Taylor
• James Murdoch continues to insist hacking was not widespread
• Further revelations emerge in May 2011 that force the News of the World paper to close
• Colin Myler and Tom Crone say that Mr Murdoch knew about hacking in 2008
• Mr Murdoch says he was not told about the full extent of For Neville email
• Commons Culture Committee chairman John Whittingdale says 'one of them is not telling the truth' 
  

It is not known how such a significant payment could have been made without the full reasons being known by those at the top of the organisations.

Parliament was later told in July 2009 that hacking was restricted to a single reporter.

Mr Murdoch has repeatedly insisted to MPs that he had no knowledge of hacking.

The bitter row erupted yesterday after Mr Murdoch's bruising second appearance before the House of Commons Culture Committee's inquiry into the scandal.

The 'For Neville' email and the payment to Gordon Taylor were two of the main lines of questioning that MPs used to interrogate Mr Murdoch.

Mr Murdoch insisted he had not learned until recently that the practice of illegally eavesdropping on private phone messages was widely used at the newspaper.

The evidence given to the committee by Mr Crone and Mr Myler in September was 'inconsistent and not right', he said, adding: 'I believe their testimony was misleading and I dispute it.'

Committee chairman John Whittingdale said it was clear that of the two accounts MPs had heard about the June 2008 meeting to discuss settling a legal claim brought by Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor 'one of them cannot be true'.

Mr Murdoch admitted that he was made aware by Mr Crone and Mr Myler at that meeting of the existence of the 'For Neville' email.

But he insisted he was not shown it or told its full contents or significance.

Mr Watson told the hearing that he had spoken to Mr Thurlbeck, who claimed he was told by Mr Crone that he had shown the email to Mr Murdoch.