Rebekah and Charlie Brooks
Rebekah and Charlie Brooks Reuters

Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks will stand trial over claims that she tried to hide evidence from police investigating claims of phone hacking at the News of the World.

Brooks was bailed at Westminster magistrates court to appear at Southwark crown court on 22 June on three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice. She was alleged to have hidden evidence from police investigating the phone hacking claims.

Magistrates heard that she had attempted to remove boxes of documents and to hide computer files from Metropolitan Police officers who were investigating the hacking claims.

She appeared at Westminster with her husband, Charlie Brooks, and four other defendants - her former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, chauffeur Paul Edwards, head of security at News International, Mark Hanna, and Daryl Jorsling, an outside security consultant.

They each face one count of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Brooks, who edited The Sun and the News of the World during her time at Rupert Murdoch's News International, spoke only to confirm her address and date of birth before being granted bail.