Prosecutors ponder more phone-hacking charges

LONDON (Reuters) - Prosecutors are considering whether charges should be brought against four more journalists over the ongoing police investigation into alleged phone hacking, the Crown Prosecution Service said on Thursday.

Detectives from Operation Weeting, the Metropolitan Police investigation set up in January 2010 to look into phone hacking, handed the files to prosecutors on June 19 to decide whether action should be taken against the unnamed individuals.

A number of senior staff from Rupert Murdoch's News of the World have been arrested on suspicion of unlawfully intercepting mobile phones and other phone hacking crimes.

On Friday, Rebekah Brooks is due to appear in court accused of concealing material from detectives carrying out a major inquiry into alleged criminal activities at News International, the British newspaper arm of Murdoch's News Corp where she was chief executive until last year. She denies the claims.

The latest files bring the total number of journalists under consideration for criminal charge to 11.

Prosecutors are also still considering whether three police officers should face criminal proceedings over allegations of misconduct in public office.

(Reporting by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Jon Hemming)