News International has said the interception of Milly Dowler’s phone was "shocking and totally unacceptable" following new revelations from Surrey Police on the circumstances of the hacking this afternoon.

Surrey Police claimed in a letter sent to the Culture, Media and Sports committee published online today News of the World journalists played a message from the missing teenager’s voicemail to one of their press officers and a police officer over the phone.

A News International spokesperson said: “The interception of Milly Dowler’s phone was shocking and totally unacceptable. The abhorrent nature of what was discovered to have happened at the News of the World ultimately led to its closure last year.

“The matter is part of a criminal investigation by the Metropolitan Police and those who sanctioned or conducted this activity should rightly be held accountable for their actions”.

The letter detailed police interaction with the paper from April to July 2002.

The NoW reporter told Surrey Police they had got Milly’s phone number and PIN, to access the voicemail service, from school children, and said they had heard other messages on the phone.

They letter says “when and the extent to which Milly’s mobile phone voicemail was unlawfully accessed (and whether any messages were deleted) are matters which form part of the MPS’ ongoing investigation”.

The letter confirmed Surrey Police did not arrest or charge anyone in relation with accessing Milly’s voicemail.