British prosecutors have charged a former aide to Prime Minister David Cameron and a former editor of the News of the World tabloid, in connection with a phone hacking scandal that forced the newspaper to shut down.

Prosecutors on Tuesday charged former Cameron spokesman Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks, who was a senior editor at the paper. Also charged were five other journalists and a private investigator.

Authorities say the eight played a role in hacking into voicemail accounts of more than 600 people, including a murdered schoolgirl, politicians and celebrities.

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch closed the 168-year-old News of the World tabloid last year, after the allegations became public.