BBC News with David Austin

The media empire of the tycoon Rupert Murdoch is under growing pressure after a day of further

revelation

s in Britain about the behaviour of its journalists. First, it was alleged that the News of the World newspaper may have bribed a police protection officer to get private contact details of the British royal family. Then came claims that other News International publications unlawfully

obtain

ed private information about the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. This report from Naomi Grimley.

More details emerge by the hour about suspect journalistic methods. Gordon Brown is the latest public figure to learn he may have been a target. It's alleged private medical records relating to his family were accessed by the Sun newspaper in 2006. There are also claims that Sunday Times

pretended to

be Mr Brown in order to get details from his bank. And there are even more revelations concerning the News of the World. One suggests that a royal protection officer was paid by the paper to supply high-level royal contact numbers in what may have been a major breach of palace security.

The British Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has told parliament that Mr Murdoch's bid to take over Britain's richest broadcaster BSkyB will be

referred to

the competition authorities. Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg urged Mr Murdoch to reconsider the proposed multibillion-dollar takeover.