LONDON One of Britains best-selling newspapers denied Monday that it engaged in widespread phone hacking, but police said they might reopen an investigation into claims its reporters illegally eavesdropped on scores of politicians and celebrities.
The allegations against the News of the World tabloid � sensational even by the knockabout standards of the British press � are rattling Prime Minister David Camerons government. Andy Coulson, the former News of the World editor who stepped down after one of his reporters was convicted of hacking, is now Camerons PR chief.
Coulson said Monday he would be happy to meet with police, but denied wrongdoing. Camerons Downing Street office said Coulson had the prime ministers support.
"Andy has made his position clear, there have been a number of reports over the last few days and those reports change nothing as far as the prime minister is concerned," said spokesman Steve Field. "The prime minister accepts the position; he has full confidence in Andy Coulson and he continues to do his job."
Opposition politicians are demanding a full inquiry into the allegations, which the News of the World denies.
"We reject absolutely any suggestion there was a widespread culture of wrongdoing at the News of the World," the newspaper said in a statement Monday.
The papers former royal reporter and a private investigator were sentenced to jail in 2007 for intercepting messages left for royal officials, including some from Princes William and Harry. But police said they had no evidence the illegal behavior went any further at the newspaper.
Scotland Yard has said, however, that detectives found nearly 3,000 cell phone numbers over the course of their investigation and that hundreds of people were thought to have been targeted, although it was likely far fewer had their phones actually broken into.
Coulson has always insisted he knew nothing of the phone hacking. But some former staff have claimed the process of intercepting voice mails was widespread � an allegation made again last week in a lengthy report by the New York Times.
It claimed breaking in to voicemail messages was a matter of routine in the papers newsroom, and that Coulson had participated in dozens or even hundreds of meetings where the hacking was discussed.
John Yates, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said the force was seeking any new information and was particularly interested in statements by a former reporter, Sean Hoare, who told the Times that Coulson had asked him to hack into phones.
"This is the first time we have heard of Mr. Hoare or anything he has to say," Yates told the BBC. "We focused our resources where we thought we could get the best evidence.
"He has come from nowhere. We are surprised that the New York Times did not alert us to this information earlier than they did."
Yates said that if there was new evidence, police would consult the Crown Prosecution Service on how to proceed.
The News of the World has accused the Times of being motivated by commercial rivalry. The tabloid is owned by News International Ltd., a subsidiary of Rupert Murdochs News Corp., whose U.S. media outlets include Fox Television, the New York Post, and the Wall Street Journal � which is in fierce competition with the New York Times.
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