Rupert Murdoch's bid to take control of BSkyB was hanging in the balance tonight as it was claimed his journalists targeted Gordon Brown and the Prince of Wales with illegal techniques.
Earlier, The UK's culture secretary Jeremy Hunt referred the media tycoon's proposed takeover of the satellite broadcaster to the Britain's competition commission amid further developments in the phone-hacking and police corruption scandals at the News of the World.
The crisis enveloping Mr Murdoch's empire widened as it was reported that journalists from other News International papers illegally obtained private information about the former prime minister.
Mr Brown was targeted by the Sun and the Sunday Times, which accessed details from his legal file, Abbey National bank account and his baby son's medical records, the Guardian and the BBC claimed.
Mr Brown's spokeswoman said: 'Gordon Brown has now been informed of the scale of intrusion into his family's life.
The family has been shocked by the level of criminality and the unethical means by which personal details have been obtained. The matter is in police hands.'
Mr Brown's wife Sarah used the social-networking site Twitter to comment on the allegations.
'Thanks for your thoughtful messages this eve, really appreciated. Thinking of other families affected who did not ask to be in public eye,' she wrote.
The Guardian has reported that police have warned Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, that their voicemail messages may have been hacked by the News of the World.
A spokesman for the royal family has said: 'We are not commenting on an ongoing police investigation.'
Police criticise new leaks
Scotland Yard has said it is extremely concerned about leaks to the media that News of the World paid a protection officer for the phone details of members of the British royal family.
In a statement, Scotland Yard said it believed the leaks were part of a deliberate campaign to undermine the investigation into the alleged payments by corrupt journalists to corrupt police officers and divert attention from elsewhere.
It said News International had shared information with police at recent meetings and it had been agreed that it would be kept confidential, so evidence could be secured without certain individuals being alerted.
The News of the World published its final edition yesterday after News International decided to shut down the paper.
Head of News International Rupert Murdoch flew in to London over the weekend for talks with senior officials at the organisation, including Ms Brooks.
There are also questions about who at News International was aware of an internal report from 2007, which was recently passed by the firm to the police.
It is reported to show the existence of payments to police officers for information and that hacking was more widespread than thought.
Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson, ex-royal editor Clive Goodman and an unnamed 63-year-old man were all arrested and questioned by detectives over recent days before being released on police bail until October.
Meanwhile, Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today called on Rupert Murdoch to reconsider his bid for broadcaster BSkyB.
Murdoch woes may affect US business
In the US, News Corp could face investigations for possibly violating bribery laws compounding the media organisation's woes.
Legal experts have said News Corporation could face scrutiny if any of the allegations, if proven true, violate the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
That law makes it a crime for any company with US ties to bribe foreign officials to obtain or retain business.
