Brooks says she had no idea hacking was taking place under her watch

Former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks has told a court she had no idea phone hacking happened under her watch and did not expect she herself would come under investigation.

Giving evidence for a seventh day at the Old Bailey, Brooks was questioned about Operation Weeting – Scotland Yard’s inquiry into the issue, which was announced in January 2011 when she was chief executive of News International.

Asked by her defence lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw QC if she expected she would be investigated, Ms Brooks said: “No, absolutely not.”

The 45-year-old has maintained that she believed any allegations of phone hacking had taken place before she became editor of the News of the World in 2002.

“Well, obviously I always had my own view, which was I didn’t believe that it had,” she told jurors yesterday.

Asked about comments made by Labour MP Chris Bryant in early 2011 about the allegations, Ms Brooks said she believed it was the result of the Sun dropping its support of the party ahead of the 2010 general election and switching to the Tories.

She told jurors: "It seems a bit long-winded but by this time there was no love lost between someone like Chris Bryant and he particularly had a grievance against the Sun for a story they'd written – I'm pretty sure during my editorship or maybe on the cusp of my leaving – a personal story about him."

Ms Brooks denies conspiring to hack phones, conspiring to commit misconduct in public office and conspiring to cover up evidence to pervert the course of justice. All seven defendants deny the charges against them. – (PA)