David Cameron's public relations chief Andy Coulson has told a group of MPs he "deeply regrets" what happened when he was in charge of the News of the World.

Former royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed in 2007 for involvement in the hacking of voicemails left on the phones of royal aides.

Mr Coulson resigned after the scandal and has since become the Conservative Party's Director of Communications.

His successor at the paper told the Culture, Media and Sport committee rigorous safeguards have been introduced to prevent a repeat of the phone-hacking incident.

An article in the Guardian accused other journalists at the paper of being involved in tapping the phones of celebrities and politicans.

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