MPs put Dowler police report on hold

The Dowler family will review the papers before their release (EPA)

MPs have delayed the publication of documents from Surrey Police relating to the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone by the News of the World.

The documents were believed to detail how journalists from the now-defunct Sunday tabloid confirmed to the Surrey force that they had accessed the murdered schoolgirl's phone messages.

They were held back after lawyers representing victims of voicemail interception complained that her family should be allowed to review the material first.

The Independent revealed last year that Surrey detectives failed to act against the NOTW despite evidence that it was hacking into the schoolgirl's voicemails soon after her abduction and murder in 2002. The documents, due to have been released yesterday by the House of Commons Media Select Committee, were provided by Surrey Police in response to questions put to the force by its members last month.

They are now expected to be published next week.