Dead soldier's mother says newspaper bosses should face court over hacking claims

The mother of a young soldier killed in Iraq says that if News of the World journalists hacked the phones of grieving military families then they should face prosecution.

The allegations are the latest development in the row over phone hacking surrounding the newspaper. Claims emerged earlier this week that the News of the World hacked murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone. Families of 7/7 bombing victims and the parents of murdered Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman have also been told by police they may have been targeted.

Ms Gentle was interviewed hours before News International chairman James Murdoch announced this Sunday's edition of the newspaper will be the last.

Rose Gentle reacted angrily to allegations soldiers' families had been targeted, telling STV's political editor Bernard Ponsonby: "When I heard about it yesterday I felt quite sick and now I'm getting angry about it.

"I really want to know the truth but I'm more angry because we never heard anything about this until yesterday."

Ms Gentle added: "I think many of them were in shock yesterday and when reality set in a lot of them were in tears, saying 'has this happened to me?' and 'why have they done it to me?' and 'My son's only been dead a couple of years and we're getting things like this brought back up when we should be letting him rest."

Gordon Gentle, 17, died in Basra in 2004 when he was serving with the Royal Highland Fusiliers. Ms Gentle has been an outspoken critic of the Iraq conflict and helped set up the group Military Families against the War.

Asked what she would like to see done, she said: "If it is true, if this has happened, I would like to see everyone responsible in court, because I don't think that they should just walk away from this, just thinking 'I've done it' and get fired, and just walk away from their job.

"I think they should be in court and there should be a trial for this."

The latest allegations came after Prime Minister David Cameron ordered a public inquiry into the scandal and Rupert Murdoch described phone hacking at the News of the World as "deplorable and unacceptable".

Rose Gentle said: "I think enquiries drag on and on and I think a lot of people get off lightly after what they've done and I would really prefer this - if it was true - to come to court where they would be questioned under oath."

A spokesperson for First Minister Alex Salmond said: "The hacking activities at News of the World are utterly reprehensible, and it is important that a public inquiry takes place to establish the full extent of the practice and where responsibility lies, as well as the ongoing police investigation.

"The position of the Scottish Government has already been made entirely clear – we had no plans for advertising in the News of the World, and that remains the case.  We have, of course, already cut our central advertising budget by 50%.

"One issue of wider concern is that a report detailing over 3,000 breaches of data protection across the newspaper industry was published by the Information Commissioner in December 2006, yet nothing was done by successive Westminster governments despite his recommendations for tough action.  That clearly now has to be revisited in light of these latest appalling revelations."