Yes, 'News of the World' availed of private detectives: Rebekah Brooks

Appearing before the British parliamentary panel probing the phone hacking scandal, former editor of the now defunct News of the World, Rebekah Brooks, testified that what happened at the tabloid was "pretty horrific". The former News International CEO also said that she intended to answer as clearly as she can.

Brooks claimed that she never knowingly sanctioned payoff to any police officer.

Brooks, who was subjected to intense grilling, said News International had acted "quickly and decisively" in dealing with the scandal.

Brooks, who is out on bail, said she was shocked at claims that her journalist had hacked murder-victim Milly Dowler's phone.

She said she was aware that the News of the World used the services of private detectives.

"I was aware that News of the World used private investigators," the 43-year-old former executive of the tabloid said.

Under fire for the hacking scandal, Brooks said she never sanctioned payments to police.

Apologising for the intercepts, she said: "We have acted as quickly as possible over evidence. Mistakes were made but we are putting them right."

Earlier, Rupert Murdoch, who was attacked by an intruder during his testimony, had virtually laid the blame of the fiasco at Brooks's doorstep.

Earlier:

Facing intense grilling by British lawmakers, media baron Rupert Murdoch said that today was "the most humble day of my life", as he and his son James apologised to the families and victims of phone hacking scandal. But he said he was not responsible for the fiasco.

"This is the most humble day of my life," 80-year-old Murdoch, the Australian-born head of the global News Corporation empire, told House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, that is seeking to uncover the criminality by his now-defunct News of the World tabloid.

Appearing alongside Murdoch, his son James apologised for the phone hacking, a scandal which has engulfed their media empire and rocked police and politicians, and told lawmakers that "these actions do not live up to the standards our company aspires to."

Murdoch said he was "appalled and ashamed" to learn that the phone of 12-year-old girl Milly Dowler had been hacked by News of the World, UK's largest selling tabloid.

He told MPs he was not aware that hacking was more widespread than originally claimed and he had "clearly" been misled by his staff.

Rupert denied ultimate responsibility for the phone-hacking scandal. When asked by lawmaker Jim Sheridan, "Do you accept that ultimately you are responsible for this whole fiasco," Murdoch replied, "No."

When asked who he blamed, Murdoch said, "The people that I trusted to run it (his media empire) and then maybe the people they trusted."

The Australian media titan's appearance on Tuesday is his first direct scrutiny by MPs during his 40-year UK media career.

The hacking issue has shaken the British establishment and placed Prime Minister David Cameron under tremendous pressure from Labour and some of his own MPs over his decision to hire ex-NoW editor Andy Coulson as his communications chief.

Coulson, arrested two weeks ago, resigned as editor of the tabloid due to the phone-hacking allegations.

Rupert said the NoW was "just 1%" of his worldwide business and that he employed "people I trust to run these divisions".

Right at the beginning, James, chairman of News International said he had great regrets and that the firm failed to live up to "the standards they aspired to" and was "determined to put things right and make sure they do not happen again".

"I would like to say just how sorry I am and how sorry we are to particularly the victims of illegal voice mail interceptions and to their families," James said.

On Rebekah Brooks, the former CEO of News International, James said he had "no knowledge or evidence" that she was aware of the phone hacking.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Cameron, who cut short his Africa tour following the scandal said it posed "big problems" that would however be resolved and not distract from other issues.

"These are big problems, but we are a big country and we are going to sort them out," he said in Lagos.

Opening the hearing, the committee chairman John Whittingdale said abuses had been uncovered "which had shocked and angered the country" and it was clear Parliament had been misled.

The father-son duo had initially declined to appear before the parliamentary committee but changed their minds after being issued with summons to attend.

Rupert said he had seen no evidence that 9/11 victims were targeted by his newspapers. Murdoch told the committee that he didn't believe the FBI had uncovered any evidence of it, either.

Rupert said he lost sight of News of the World because it is such a small part of his company.

Others questioned included the outgoing chief of the London Metropolitan Police Paul Stephenson.

Stephenson defended himself and denied taking a swipe at Cameron in his resignation speech.

He was quizzed a number of times on the hiring of the News of the World journalist Neil Wallis -- arrested over phone-hacking scandal -- as an adviser in the Metropolitan Police.

"No reason to suspect that Wallis was involved in the phone hacking when he was hired. There was no conflict of interest," he told the Committee.

Replying to a question on the press-police relationship, 57-year-old police officer, who resigned as London's top cop on Sunday amid questions about his links to Wallis, also said it is quite clear "we need to change the way we do it."

Stephenson explained that "distracting" stories about his links to the affair left him with no choice but to resign, adding, "It was my decision and my decision only." He said he was saddened to have to leave but he took the decision to go because of "extraordinary times."

Referring to the original hacking investigation in 2006, the outgoing Commissioner said he had "no reason to expect that it was unsuccessful".

He said it had not been a "priority" for him at the time.

Murdoch's embattled group has publicly apologised twice during the weekend, promising to make amends in the aftermath of the hacking scandal.

The company printed apologies in national newspapers on Saturday and Sunday for the wrongdoings and unethical practices adopted by journalists of the now-closed tabloid.

Meanwhile, investigations continued into the death of former News of the World journalist Sean Hoare, who had made allegations of phone hacking. Hoare's body was found at his home on Monday. Police say his death is yet unexplained but not suspicious.

Hoare was the first to allege that illegal practices were being adopted at the tabloid under the editorship of Andy Coulson.