Phone hacking: Police examine bag found in bin near Rebekah Brooks's home - Telegraph.co.uk

Detectives are also understood be examining CCTV footage to see how the bag made it into the car park.

David Wilson, a spokesman for Mr Brooks, said the bag had been dropped off by a friend who had left it in the wrong place, possibly leading to be it being binned by a cleaner.

He said the bag and all its contents belonged to Mr Brooks and not his wife and added: "They are absolutely nothing to do with Rebekah Brooks or the police investigation."

"Charlie was looking for it together with a couple of the building staff.

"Charlie was told it had gone to security, by which stage they [security] had already called the police to say they had found something.

"The police took it away. Charlie's lawyers got in touch with the police to say they could take a look at the computer but they'd see there was nothing relevant to them on it. He's expecting the stuff back forthwith."

Mrs Brooks was arrested on Sunday in connection with allegations of phone hacking and illegal payments to police officers. She was bailed until October.

The former editor of the News of the World and The Sun is set to appear before Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee today to answer questions over the phone hacking scandal.

She will appear alongside Rupert and James Murdoch.