Sarah Payne detective fears phone hacked

Detective Chief Inspector Martyn Underhill has told the police inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal his messages may have been intercepted.

During the investigation in 2000 he was the main police contact with the murdered eight-year-old’s mother Sara and regularly left messages for her.

The revelations came yesterday, as Ms Payne spoke for the first time since it was revealed a phone given to her by News of the World may also have been targeted by Glenn Mulcaire, an investigator working for the paper.

Ms Payne, who campaigned with the former tabloid for stronger child protection laws, said she wanted to help stop a repeat of the phone-hacking scandal.

“Notwithstanding the bad apples involved here, my faith remains solidly behind all the good people who have supported me over the last 11 years. I will never lose my faith in them.”

Scotland Yard is setting up a team of officers to investigate computer hacking, the force confirmed last night.

The Metropolitan Police said it was considering a number of breach of privacy allegations received since January.

The new team, to be formed under Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers, will investigate matters not covered by Operation Weeting, the force’s phone hacking probe.