Mark Thompson: 'No evidence' BBC staff hacked phones

BBC Director General Mark Thompson has told the Leveson Inquiry into press standards that there is no evidence that BBC staff had hacked phones.

Mr Thompson said he had ordered a review into whether the corporation's employees had engaged in phone hacking when the news emerged of widespread phone hacking at News International newspapers.

He described the review as "necessary and appropriate".

But he said he had not heard any "rumour or whisper or suggestion" BBC journalists had ever hacked phones.