Hoare said hacking was imported from The Sun

Sean Hoare, the News of the World's former showbusiness reporter, told his brother that phone hacking had been imported from The Sun and claimed the illegal practice had become a "daily routine" on both titles, the Leveson Inquiry was told yesterday.

Stuart Hoare, 18 months older than Sean, 48, who was found dead at his home in July this year, said his brother had talked about phone hacking as a practice a "taken into the NOTW" from its sister title.

Told not to name names because of potential criminal actions, Mr Hoare said he had found it "very, very difficult" to give his evidence because "the seniors that were involved in the practices that went on know they were involved and know they were in the wrong."

The inquiry also heard from James Hanning, the deputy editor of the Independent on Sunday who spoke to Sean Hoare off the record last summer. Mr Hanning said he had been given permission by Mr Hoare's family to reveal openly what he had been told. He said Mr Hoare had admitted to phone hacking and named "about eight others" involved at the NOTW.