Scotland Yard tells Liam Fox that his phone was hacked

Liam Fox, the former defence secretary, was the subject of a phone-hacking operation by a private detective who had worked for the News of the World, Scotland Yard has discovered.

Attempts had been made to obtain details of Dr Fox's bank details and a number of financial transactions as well as intercept voice mail in three separate periods.

Dr Fox's name and personal details were discovered in notebooks seized from Glenn Mulcaire who was employed by the Murdoch newspaper. The hacking attempts took place in 2001 and 2002, when Dr Fox was the Conservative health spokesman and in 2006 when he was shadow Defence Secretary.

Dr Fox said last night: " I was visited by officers from the Metropolitan Police who told me that my name was found in material seized from Glenn Mulcaire. There also seems to have been attempts to get information about my finances although the level of penetration remain unclear.

"I have no idea what they were looking for, but it is pretty disquieting when something like this happens. I have had to warn people who may have left messages on my phone at the time and obviously this is something which is worrying for them as well."

The 2006 hackings took place a year after Dr Fox entered the contest to be the Tory party leader coming behind David Cameron and David Davis.

Dr Fox became Defence Secretary following the last election but resigned last year after being found in breach of the ministerial code of conduct over official access allowed to his former best man and friend Adam Werritty.