Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has been recalled to face more questioning by British MPs after he was secretly recorded criticising the police investigation into alleged phone hacking and bribery by his journalists.

In the tape, in which Murdoch is heard speaking to staff at his best-selling Sun tabloid in March, he says it had been common practice for decades for journalists to pay police for stories - contradicting his public denials of any such practice.

Scotland Yard said it would also assess the comments by the 82-year-old News Corporation chief, in which he calls the police probe a "disgrace"

"Here we are, two years later, and the cops are totally incompetent," Mr Murdoch says on the tape.

"We're talking about payments for news tips from cops: that's been going on a hundred years."

The secret recordings - what Murdoch said: "One thing that everybody in this room shares ... is that we were arrested, thrown into police cells, treated as common criminals in front of our children, our families, our neighbours, our friends and our colleagues for doing nothing more than the company expected of us. Nothing." "I don't know of anybody or anything that did anything that wasn't being done across Fleet Street wasn't the culture and we're being picked on." When asked by one of his journalists if he accepts that The Sun was paying police for decades, he replies: "We're talking about payments for news tips from the cops: that's been going on a hundred years, absolutely. You didn't instigate it." He goes on to say: "I remember when I first bought the News of the World, the first day I went to the office ... and there was a big wall-safe ... And I said, 'What’s that for? "And they said, 'We keep some cash in there.' "And I said, 'What for?' "They said, 'Well, sometimes the editor needs some on a Saturday night for powerful friends.'" Murdoch is critical of the police: "But why are the police behaving in this way? It’s the biggest inquiry ever over next to nothing."

According to the tape, obtained by the Exaro investigative website and released by Channel 4 television last week, Murdoch says News Corp made a "mistake" in handing over so much information to police.

He also appears to suggest that reporters jailed as a result of the probe could return to their jobs.

"You're all innocent until proven guilty. What you're asking is what happens if some of you are proven guilty. What afterwards? I'm not allowed to promise you," he says.

"I will promise you continued health support, but your jobs ... I've got be careful what comes out, but frankly, I won't say it, but just trust me."

Murdoch confirms he will return to UK for questioning

Australian-born Mr Murdoch appeared before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons, or lower house of parliament, two years ago at the height of the hacking scandal that closed the News of the World tabloid.

A spokeswoman for the scrutiny panel confirmed that it would ask Mr Murdoch to appear again to discuss his comments on the police probe, adding that it was expected to happen in the (northern) autumn, although no date has been agreed.

As a US citizen, Mr Murdoch does not have to return to the UK to face the committee, but News Corporation has issued a statement saying he "welcomes the opportunity to return".

"He looks forward to clearing up any misconceptions as soon as possible," a News Corp spokesman said.

More than 20 Sun journalists have now been arrested, including former editor Rebekah Brooks, executive editor Fergus Shanahan, deputy editor Geoff Webster and chief reporter John Kay.

Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, a senior police officer in charge of the force's specialist operations, told MPs overnight that Scotland Yard was trying to get a copy of the recording.

"We will assess the full contents of that tape," she said.

She added that the police investigations, which now indicate that up to 5,500 people had their phones hacked, were "progressing extremely well".

At the height of the hacking scandal, an apologetic Mr Murdoch appeared before the media committee to explain what he knew of allegations his journalists had hacked voicemails and bribed the authorities.

"This is the most humble day of my life," he said at that appearance in July 2011.

Mr Murdoch shut down his top-selling News of the World after it emerged the weekly had illegally accessed the voicemails of hundreds of public figures, including a murdered teenager.

'It wasn't really the most humble day of his life'

Labour MP Tom Watson was a member of the Culture Select Committee when Murdoch appeared before it in 2011.

"It's pretty clear to me now that it wasn't really the most humble day of his life," he said.

Mr Watson says the committee will have plenty of new questions for Murdoch.

"He was very defiant, he was resentful, he criticises the police inquiry. This is a man who says one thing in public and something else in private and I'm sure that the committee will want to explore that," he said.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 3 minutes 3 m Murdoch summoned to parliamentary committee after release of secret recording ( Barbara Miller ) Download 1.4 MB

"Mock humility is not a crime, no, but I think it does reveal something of the character of the man that is responsible for corporate culture in what is one of the biggest media empires on the planet.

"And of course remember this committee, a number of members of the committee were split when we came to deciding to say that he wasn't a fit person to run an international company. Well I think it speaks volumes that the committee as far as I understand have unanimously decided to invite Rupert Murdoch back."

Mr Watson says the secret recording is a huge embarrasment for the News Corp boss.

"My only sadness is I'm no longer on the committee to interview him again," he said.

The prominent hacking victims' lobby group, Hacked Off, has welcomed the decision to recall Murdoch, saying the committee will need to establish whether he lied when he showed remorse.

News International has previously said Murdoch was showing understandable empathy with his staff in the meeting.

Murdoch has also appeared before the Leveson Inquiry, a long-running, judge-led probe into the hacking scandal, which wrapped up last year by calling for state-backed regulation of Britain's raucous newspapers.

ABC/AFP