Rupert Murdoch, the News Corp Chief Executive, has said the decision to close his paper News of The World was a "collective decision", as he prepares to fly to London to deal with the phone hacking crisis.

But he said he had no further comment on the situation.

Murdoch spoke outside the annual Allen & Co media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, on Saturday. He will head to the UK after the talks end later in the day.

James Murdoch, the deputy chief operating officer of News Corp, announced earlier this week that the tabloid would print its final edition on Sunday, following claims it paid private investigators to illegally intercept the voicemail messages of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, bereaved military families and relatives of 7/7 bombing victims.

Three people have been arrested since Friday in connection to investigations over phone hacking and corruption at the paper, including Andy Coulson, former News of The World editor and ex-chief media adviser to David Cameron.

He and Clive Goodman, the paper's former royal editor, along with an unnamed 63-year-old man, have been released on bail until October.