The journalists are among 11 suspects, who also include one police officer, whose cases are being considered, the director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer, said.

Starmer would not name the four journalists or the titles they were connected with, but he listed the four files individually.

Starmer also said that the four journalists in the files may not be among the 43 people who had been arrested by the police in relation to operations regarding phone or email hacking or corrupt payments to public officials.