Editorial: Phone hacking may be just the beginning

That News of the World journalists hacked mobile phones and bribed public officials was bad enough. Evidence that private detectives might have undertaken a burglary whilst working for the paper suggests the law-breaking at the now-defunct tabloid may have reached truly appalling levels. Even more so, given that several victims of phone hacking, including MPs and celebrities, report unexplained break-ins at around the same time.

So far, those who may have been implicated deny all wrong-doing. But with eight people charged over phone hacking and the police investigation now winding down, the parallel inquiry into other illegal activities at the NOTW is set to be more shocking still.