The father of murdered British schoolgirl Milly Dowler said today that the “gravity” of revelations that his daughter’s phone was hacked had to be investigated.
Bob Dowler told the Leveson Inquiry into press standards it was “extremely important” that people understood the scale of illegal accessing of mobile voicemails by journalists.
British prime minister David Cameron set up the inquiry in July after it emerged that the News of the World commissioned private detective Glenn Mulcaire to hack Milly's phone after she disappeared in 2002.
Sitting alongside his wife Sally, Mr Dowler said: “The gravity of what had happened had to be investigated.
“I think there is a much bigger picture, obviously, but I think that given that we learned about those hacking revelations just before the trial for the murder of our daughter, it was extremely important that we understood and people understand exactly what went on in terms of these practices, to uncover this information from the hacking situation.”
Inquiry chairman Lord Justice Leveson expressed his sympathy for the Dowlers’ loss as he thanked them for agreeing to give evidence.
“Can I thank you both for being prepared to come to the inquiry," he said. “You have done so voluntarily and I am very conscious that it is a strain. I can only sympathise with both of you for the appalling losses that you have suffered and for the traumas that you have undergone over many years.
“So I am very appreciative to both of you for being prepared to expose yourselves further to assist me in the work that I have to do.”
Mr Dowler was asked what he would say to News of the World publisher News International.
“We would sincerely hope that News International and other media organisations would look very carefully how they procure, how they obtain information about stories. Obviously, the ramifications are far greater than what appears in the press," he said.
Mrs Dowler added: “Use this opportunity to do things right in future and have some decent standards.”
She told the judge that the revelation about her daughter’s phone being hacked had been “terribly difficult to process”.
Mrs Dowler described a private walk which she and her husband took seven weeks after Milly disappeared.
Mr Dowler was at work in London and Mrs Dowler called him to suggest retracing their daughter’s steps.
They were photographed covertly - three days later a picture of Mrs Dowler touching a missing poster appeared in the News of the World.
"We quietly retraced her steps and no-one was around," she said. "We had put out missing leaflets and I was checking to see if the right poster was up. That was on the Thursday, and the following Sunday that photo appeared in the News of the World.
“We did not see anyone - they must have taken the photo using a telephoto lens. How on earth did they know we were doing that walk on that day? It felt like such an intrusion into a really private grief moment.
“At the time, more importantly, was the fact that Milly was missing and that was more mind-consuming.”
Mr Dowler also said that the practice of doorstepping - where a reporter would knock on the door to ask them about something - made the couple “afraid” to open their front door.
“You really are afraid to open your front door because you are faced with a question,” he said.
Mrs Dowler added: “They would come up to you when you least expected it, like when you are getting something out of the car or something, for a question.”
PA