The police said on Thursday there was no reason to reopen a phone-tapping investigation in spite of a political firestorm over allegations that journalists working for the News of the World had hacked into the phones of thousands of politicians and celebrities.

But questions were still being directed at News International, the paper’s parent and part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, to answer allegations that it had paid £1m to three people from the world of football in settlement of damages claims concerning the alleged hacking. MPs are to launch their own inquiry.