Rebekah Brooks, Rupert Murdoch's most senior newspaper executive in Britain, has resigned as chief executive of News International, the British subsidiary of News Corp.

Ex-Sky Italia head Tom Mockridge will replace Brooks, who has been under intense pressure to stand down over a phone hacking scandal that has rocked Murdoch's media empire.

Below are some initial reactions to the news:

JOHN SMITH, FUND MANAGER AT BROWN SHIPLEY:

Clearly someone had to take responsibility for what had gone on. I would have thought Murdoch will make another approach for BSkyB at some stage but not in the next 12 months.

CHRIS BRYANT, OPPOSITION LABOUR LAWMAKER:

I think it's right that she goes, I think she should have gone a very long time ago. I think frankly she should have gone when she said she had paid police officers for information back in 2003.

Its great that now finally I hope we will get to bottom of what went on at the News of the World. This was a newspaper that was completely out of control and it should always be the people at the top that carry the can when things go wrong on their watch.

DON FOSTER, LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MP WHO SPEAKS ON MEDIA AFFAIRS:

I think she's made absolutely the right decision and it's really important that none of this deflects from the continuing investigation. The British public will be delighted that she's done that. She should have done it sooner.

(Reporting by UK bureau, compiled by Rosalba O'Brien)

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