Rupert Murdoch has confirmed that he intends to make a personal donation of £1 million to charity by way of an apology for the hacking of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone by the News of the World.
In a statement issued on Friday, the media mogul said that the behaviour of his newspaper had been "abhorrent".
"When I met with the Dowlers in July, I expressed how deeply sorry I was for the hurt we had caused this family," he said.
"The behaviour that the News of the World exhibited towards the Dowlers was abhorrent and I hope this donation underscores my regret for the company's role in this awful event.
"I also hope that through the personal donation something positive can be done in memory of their daughter."
The Dowler family, who has already received £2m for a civil claim against News International, said nothing would ever be able to bring back Milly.
"The only way that a fitting tribute could be agreed was to ensure that a very substantial donation to charity was made in Milly's memory. We hope that projects will be undertaken so that some good can come from this," they said.
The Dowlers have chosen to give Murdoch's £1m donation to the charities Shooting Star Chase, Child Victims of Crime, Suzy Lamplugh Trust, Hampton Pool Trust, Brain Tumour UK and Cancer Research.
Milly, who was abducted and killed by Levi Bellfield in 2002, is believed to have had her phone hacked by a private investigator working for the News of the World after she was reported missing.
The revelation that the missing schoolgirl’s voicemails were intercepted led to a public outcry, which eventually resulted in the closure of the newspaper in July.
The family has since been named as "core participants" in the Leveson inquiry into media conduct.
The News of the World has previously reached settlements with actress Sienna Miller, who was paid £100,000 after her voicemail was intercepted, and football pundit Andy Gray, who accepted £20,000.