Brooks to take legal advice on attending UK hearing

LONDON (Reuters) - Former News International chief Rebekah Brooks may not appear at a British parliamentary hearing next week following her arrest on Sunday over phone-hacking allegations, her spokesman said. David Wilson said Brooks would consult lawyers on whether to attend the meeting, at which politicians planned to quiz Brooks and her former employers Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corp, and James Murdoch, chairman of the conglomerate's British newspaper arm. "I think there will clearly be some discussions between her lawyers and the select committee on whether it is still sensible for her to appear," Wilson told Reuters.

Brooks is a former editor of the News of the World newspaper, at the center of the phone-hacking allegations, and was chief executive of News International, News Corp's British newspaper business. She resigned from the company on Friday.

(Reporting by Mohammed Abbas)