Ford's U.K. unit is yanking its ads from Rupert Murdoch's News of the World tabloid in Britain as the scandal mushrooms over allegations the newspaper hacked a kidnapped 13-year-old girl's cellphone. The girl was found dead.

Ford said in a statement today that pending the outcome of a police probe, it will use "alternative media within and outside News International Group." That group of Murdoch's British properties also includes The Times of London and The Sun. It's a unit of Murdoch's global News Corp. empire, whose U.S. properties range from Fox broadcasting to The Wall Street Journal and New York Post.



Ford's move came as British Prime Minister David Cameron said today he's shocked by allegations the tabloid hacked into the cellphone of Milly Dowler after she went missing. "If they are true, this is a truly dreadful act and a truly dreadful situation."

The hacking came to light as serial killer Levi Bellfield, who already was serving a life sentence for two other murders, was convicted of her slaying two weeks ago.

Here is the tawdry background of the incident as reported by the Associated Press:

LONDON -- Britain's voracious tabloids may have hit a new low: The News of the World faces claims today that it hacked into an abducted teenager's phone messages, possibly hampering the police investigation.

Britons are used to seeing their press harass royals, sports stars and celebrities, constantly eavesdropping and paying even the most tangential sources for information about stars' sex lives and drug problems.

Yet the hacking case involving 13-year-old Milly Dowler has horrified everyone, from British Prime Minister David Cameron to the Twitter universe.

Dowler's abduction in 2002, while she was walking home from school in Surrey, transfixed Britain until her decomposing body was found in the woods by mushroom pickers six months later.

But while police were pursuing leads and Milly's parents were making dramatic appeals for information, a private investigator working for the News of the World allegedly hacked into her phone, listened to her messages, and even deleted some to make room for more.

Mark Lewis, a lawyer for Dowler's parents, said today he plans to sue the tabloid for its interference.

It's unknown how long Dowler was alive after being abducted, but the tabloid's actions reportedly came in the days right after her disappearance. Police saw messages had been deleted, giving them and Milly's parents false hope that she was still alive.

"It is distress heaped upon tragedy to learn that the News of the World had no humanity at such a terrible time," Lewis said. "The fact that they were prepared to act in such a heinous way that could have jeopardized the police investigation and give them false hope is despicable."

He said executives at the newspaper should resign. Jo Caddis, a furniture dealer in North London, goes further -- she thinks the culprit should go to jail. "The parents saw that messages had been deleted and got hope when there was no hope," she said. "You should not be allowed to hack into any phone. It's a complete breach of rights, but to do it in a case where a girl is missing is terrible."

The case has refocused the spotlight on the already tainted News of the World, part of Rupert Murdoch's global media empire at News Corp. It also comes as Murdoch is trying to engineer the politically sensitive, multibillion-pound takeover of broadcaster BSkyB in Britain.

Pressure mounted today on Rebekah Brooks, editor of the tabloid when Dowler disappeared and now a top Murdoch executive in the U.K., to resign. Yet Brooks, a Murdoch confidante, refused to step down.

"We were all appalled and shocked when we heard about these allegations yesterday," Brooks wrote today in an e-mail to her staff. "I am sickened that these events are alleged to have happened. Not just because I was editor of the News of the World at the time, but if the accusations are true, the devastating effect on Milly Dowler's family is unforgivable."

Brooks said in the e-mail that she had no knowledge of the alleged hacking into Dowler's phone and would continue to lead the company through its difficult times. She said she had written to Dowler's parents promising to fully cooperate with investigators.

News International spokesman Simon Greenberg said Brooks has Murdoch's full confidence. She also enjoys a friendly relationship with Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha.

Cameron has already been hit by another News of the World hacking scandal: His communications chief Andy Coulson resigned earlier this year because of his previous role as News of the World editor.

After years of denials, the News of the World admitted hacking into the cellphone voice-mail systems of many celebrities and sports stars and offered cash settlements to some victims. One of its royal editors, Clive Goodman, and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire have been jailed for hacking into phones used by aides to the royal family. Five more people have been arrested since a fresh police probe began in January.

The paper also faces dozens of lawsuits stemming from the illegal hacking.

Former deputy prime minister John Prescott and actor Jude Law are among those believed to have been hacked by the tabloid, which has already reached a 100,000-pound ($160,000) cash settlement with actress Sienna Miller, Law's onetime girlfriend.