SVEN Goran-Eriksson had his voicemail repeatedly hacked by the News of the World during his time as England manager, a jury has heard.

The Old Bailey was told that Eriksson and his lover Faria Alam were monitored by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire from 2002 and 2006, leading to several high profile stories at the now-defunct tabloid.

Among them was the 65-year-old's affair with FA employee Alam, with "first details" of the relationship emerging from hacked messages in June 2004.

Another was a sting operation "perpetrated" by undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood which prosecutors say led to a story with the headline "This Man Is A Crook".

Prosecutor Mark Bryant-Heron told the jury that when Mulcaire was arrested in August 2006 on suspicion of phone hacking, recordings of messages intercepted from Eriksson's phone were found at his address.

The trial was also read statements from members of staff at a recruitment agency in Telford who said they were called by an unknown woman who claimed to be murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's mother.

In a statement read out in court, Valerie Hancox, who ran the firm, also recalled that a News of the World reporter came to her home to speak to her.

"He told me he was investigating the Milly Dowler disappearance," she said. "He told me he was helping the police with inquiries and asked to come in."

Ms Hancox added: "Surrey Police confirmed that they were not working with the News of the World."

The jury had earlier heard that former News of the World editor Andy Coulson was "honest and straightforward". Dean Keyworth, one of Mr Coulson's oldest friends, told the court he was "very ambitious but not ruthless" and that he "wanted to get the story but not at any cost".

Mrs Brooks, 45, of Churchill, Oxfordshire, and Mr Coulson, also 45, from Charing in Kent, deny conspiring with others to hack phones between October 3, 2000 and August 9, 2006.

Mulcaire has admitted hacking phones.

The trial continues.