James Murdoch resigns as News Group director

James Murdoch has resigned as a director of the companies which publish The Sun and The Times, according to documents filed with Companies House.

The son of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch stepped down from the boards of News Group Newspapers - publisher of The Sun - and Times Newspapers Limited - which publishes the Times and Sunday Times - in September, the papers reveal.

NGN was the publisher of the now-defunct News of the World, which is at the centre of allegations over phone-hacking.

James Murdoch, who faced tough questioning about how much he knew about phone hacking at the Sunday tabloid, is expected to come under pressure to resign as chairman of broadcaster BSkyB at the company's AGM next week.

Reporting standards at the News of the World - which was closed in July - have been under the spotlight this week after evidence from Hugh Grant, Steve Coogan and the parents of Millie Dowler to the Leveson Inquiry.

Mr Murdoch's resignations mean there is now no Murdoch family representative on the boards of News Corp's main UK newspapers.

However, it is understood that he remains chairman of NGN and TNL's parent company News International.

NI chief executive Tom Mockridge replaced Mr Murdoch as a director of NGN and TNL.

PA