The Royal British Legion has dropped the News of The World as a campaign partner in response to allegations made in several newspapers that its reporters hacked into phones owned by families of dead servicemen and women.
Spokesperson Kevin Hart told BBC News: “We’re obviously very shocked at the allegations. We work a great deal closely with members of bereaved families and we’re just very shocked that while they’ve been going through unbelievable trauma that their phones have allegedly been hacked into.”
He added: “We feel that given the seriousness of these allegations that we ought to take this decision to suspend our dealings with the News of the World pending the allegations being thoroughly investigated."
The charity also said that it supported an independent judicial inquiry into the matter: “We are of course calling for the judicial inquiry which the prime minister mentioned, calling for that to be implemented as soon as possible… Given the nature of these allegations we fell that we have no other option but to suspend the relationship.”
Mr Hart also hinted that the Royal British Legion may end their relationship with other News International titles such as the Sun, saying: “We’re keeping everything under review”.
Armed Forces chief Sir David Richards said he was "appalled" by the allegations: "I have to say if these actions have been proved to have been verified I am appalled, I find it quite disgusting... Let's see what the investigation comes up with and take it from there. But I think the prime minister, I, everyone across Whitehall in Government feel very, very strongly about it."
His comments came as retailer Sainsbury's and energy company Npower became the latest advertisers to pull out of the newspaper, following similar moves by a raft of other brands on Wednesday. The Co-operative Group, Halifax, Virgin Holidays, Lloyds Banking Group and Vauxhall joined Ford UK in pulling their advertising from the News International paper as Prime Minister David Cameron used PMQs to back calls for an inquiry into phone hacking.