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

Prosecutors said Tuesday that former Cameron spokesman Andy Coulson and newspaper chief Rebekah Brooks would be charged along with six others.

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

After the allegations became public, media mogul Rupert Murdoch closed the News of the World.

The hacking allegations trace back several years. In 2007, a News of the World reporter and a private investigator hired by the paper were jailed for intercepting the cell phone messages of British royal officials.