Murdochs face the music

The men were to answer questions put by the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee over their involvement in the affair which has engulfed their media empire and rocked police and politicians to the core.

In what promised to be a dramatic day at Westminster, the two most high-profile casualties of the scandal so far – Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and assistant commissioner John Yates – were also to give evidence to another committee in the same building.

In another twist last night, it emerged that News of the World whistleblower Sean Hoare had been found dead in "unexplained circumstances".

Meanwhile Prime Minister David Cameron was to fly back to Britain, having cut short his Africa visit to take MPs' questions tomorrow on the subject before the House of Commons breaks for the summer.

Mr Murdoch and his chairman son agreed to appear only after the committee issued summonses ordering them to attend – with the threat of fines or even imprisonment if they failed to turn up.

In a defiant interview last week with his News Corp-owned the Wall Street Journal Rupert Murdoch said he intended to use the hearing to expose some of the "total lies" issued about his organisation.

Since then, however, he has struck a more conciliatory tone – taking out full-page advertisements in rival newspapers to apologise for what had happened.

Their appearance before the committee at 2.30pm in the Wilson Room in Portcullis House, opposite the House of Commons, was to be followed by Rebekah Brooks, who resigned on Friday as chief executive of News International – News Corp's UK newspaper publishing arm.

She is a key figure having been editor of the News of the World when murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone was allegedly hacked in 2002 and having previously told the committee News International paid police officers.

However her arrest on Sunday by detectives investigating the phone-hacking allegations may complicate the questioning.

The committee has acknowledged that lines of questioning have been prepared "carefully taking into account legal considerations".

Before that, along the corridor in the Grimond Room, Sir Paul and Mr Yates and Scotland Yard's director of public affairs Dick Fedorcio, will give evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee.

Before he resigned yesterday, the committee said it was recalling Mr Yates, having made clear made it was unhappy with his evidence when he appeared last week. Mr Yates has been under fire over his decision in 2009 not to reopen the original 2006 police investigation into phone hacking.

He quit after he was warned he faced suspension and a damaging investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

While he brushed off claims he secured a job for the daughter of phone-hacking suspect Neil Wallis, he said the continued speculation was a "significant distraction" in his role as the national lead for counter-terrorism.

It was the disclosure that Mr Wallis – who was Andy Coulson's deputy when he was editor of the News of the World – had been employed by the Yard as a part-time PR consultant that finally triggered Sir Paul's resignation and his recall by the committee.

The announcement – made while Mr Cameron was flying out to South Africa – again caught the Prime Minister on the back foot.

He hurriedly announced he would return early to make a statement to MPs in an emergency Commons session –postponing their summer break by a day.

However he was again forced to defend his appointment of Mr Coulson as his No 10 director of communications after Sir Paul drew a direct parallel with the Met's employment of Wallis. Mr Cameron rejected the comparison, but Labour look set to continue to press the charge Mr Cameron made a "catastrophic error of judgment" in hiring Mr Coulson, who has since resigned.

Meanwhile in a second session, the Home Affairs Committee was to take evidence from the former director of public prosecutions, Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, who was in charge of the Crown Prosecution Service at the time of the original police investigation into phone-hacking.

He has since advised News International regarding its co-operation with the Met investigation into allegations that the News of the World paid police officers.

The committee will also hear from current Director of the Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, and Mark Lewis, the solicitor for the Dowler family and other alleged phone-hack victims.

Meanwhile, relatives of September 11 victims have asked the FBI to brief them on its probe into claims News Corp journalists sought to hack into terror victims' phones. Last week the Daily Mirror reported a US investigator had been approached by journalists offering money for phone records of the dead. He refused.

The FBI launched a inquiry into the matter after members of Congress wrote to FBI director Robert Mueller demanding action.

Whistleblower reporter death is 'unexplained'

A former News of the World (NoW) reporter who claimed Andy Coulson "encouraged" him to hack phones was found dead yesterday.

Sean Hoare, who made claims in a New York Times article about the prime minister's former communications chief, was discovered at his home in Watford, Hertfordshire.

A neighbour and friend, who did not want to be named, said he was "paranoid" and looked increasingly unwell in recent weeks.

He said Mr Hoare had spoken about voicemail interception long before it hit the headlines.

Hertfordshire Police said death was being treated as "unexplained, but not thought to be suspicious".

The neighbour said Mr Hoare was worried he was being watched, and was fearful of the police and government.

He said: "He talked about all sorts of problems. A lot of it was alcohol-related.

"His passage through life has not been an easy one. It's really, really sad news. It's a shame."

Asked if he ever spoke about the Sunday tabloid, the man said: "Yes, he did. He talked a lot, but we never knew if he was telling the truth."

Describing Mr Hoare as a "fantasist", he added: "A lot of the time we didn't know what to believe.

"He did mention he was paranoid and that there was a conspiracy."

Mr Hoare lived at the first-floor corner flat with his wife, Jo, whose car was in the car park of the four-storey block, the neighbour said.

Last year Mr Hoare claimed Mr Coulson was aware of phone hacking while editor at the NoW. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme, he said phone hacking was "endemic" in the newspaper industry.

Mr Hoare was dismissed from the NoW for drink and drug problems.

Strathclyde Chief Constable is contender for the top Met job

Strathclyde Chief Constable Steve House, has emerged as a contender to become the new Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police following Sir Paul Stephenson's resignation over the phone hacking scandal.

Mr House, a former Assistant Commissioner with the Metropolitan force, who is understood to be interested in the post, said yesterday that Sir Paul's resignation would be a "loss to our service".

He added: "I have known him for a very long time and count him as a friend."

It is understood the new Commissioner may well be appointed from outside the Met, putting Mr House firmly in the frame for the top job.