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Jury selection has begun in the trial of ex-News of the World journalists accused of phone hacking.

Rebekah Brooks, former News International chief executive, and Andy Coulson, former News of the World editor, are accused of conspiring with others to listen to voicemails.

It is also alleged that Ms Brooks and Mr Coulson conspired to commit misconduct in a public office.

The eight defendants deny the charges at the Old Bailey.

The trial concerns allegations of wrongdoing at the News of the World before it was closed down in July 2011 after claims that journalists had hacked the mobile phone of murder victim Milly Dowler.

Ms Brooks was editor of the newspaper between 2000 and 2003 before being made editor of The Sun. She went on to become the chief executive of News International.

It is alleged that she conspired with others at the newspaper to intercept communications between October 2000 and August 2006 by listening to mobile phone messages.

She faces two further counts of allegedly making corrupt payments to public officials and two final accusations that she allegedly conspired to pervert the course of justice by removing and concealing evidence.

Mr Coulson faces the same alleged phone hacking charge as Ms Brooks. He and Clive Goodman, the newspaper’s former royal editor, face two counts of conspiring to make corrupt payments to public officials.

Ian Edmondson and Stuart Kuttner, the newspaper’s former head of news and managing editor respectively, are also accused of involvement in the same alleged phone hacking.

The final three defendants are Ms Brooks’ husband, Charlie, her former personal assistant at News International Cheryl Carter, and Mark Hanna, the company’s head of security.

They are accused alongside Ms Brooks of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

Final jury selection is expected to be completed on Tuesday and the trial is expected to last many months.