News of the World staff have last laugh at editor with ‘mocking’ clues in crossword

[1]

The staff at News of the World seem to have had the last laugh at their editor Rebekah Brooks by disguising mocking messages in the crossword of the tabloid’s last edition on Sunday.

Brooks had reportedly brought in two proofreaders from The Sun newspaper to sanitise Sunday’s final edition of any jibes directed at her following the announcement of the newspaper’s closure over the phone hacking scandal.

But, they failed to detect the hidden messages in the crossword, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

"She brought in two very senior Sun journalists to go though every line on every page with a fine toothcomb to ensure there were no libels or any hidden mocking messages of the chief executive," a source was quoted, as saying.

"But they failed and we have had the last laugh," he added.

Among the clues in the paper’s Quickie puzzle were: ‘Brook’, ‘stink’, ‘catastrophe’ and ‘digital protection’.

The Cryptic Crossword also appeared to include hints ‘criminal enterprise’, ‘mix in prison’, ‘string of recordings’, and ‘will fear new security measure’.

Another clue was ‘woman stares wildly at calamity’, referring to a photograph of Brooks as she left the News International head quarters in east London on Thursday after the staff was told the paper would be shut down.

Brooks was the editor in charge when phone-tapping practices were reported to have taken place at the News of the World, but retained her job despite widespread criticism.