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Rebekah Brooks has this morning resigned as chief executive of News International amid growing political and commercial pressure over the phone hacking scandal.
The former Sun and News of the World editor announced she would be standing down in an internal email to News International staff.
Brooks, 43, said she would leave her position to avoid distracting attention from News International's efforts to "fix the problems of the past".
In a statement released to her staff, Brooks said: "As you can imagine recent times have been tough. I now need to concentrate on correcting the distortions and rebutting the allegations about my record as a journalist, an editor and executive.
"My resignation makes it possible for me to have the freedom and the time to give my full cooperation to all the current and future inquiries, the police investigations and the CMS appearance."
She said she intended to remain in her position to lead the company through the "heat of the crisis".
Brooks continued: "However, my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate.
"This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavours to fix the problems of the past.
"Therefore I have given Rupert and James Murdoch my resignation. While it has been a subject of discussion, this time my resignation has been accepted."
The House of Lords is set to debate the "unhealthy" relationship between Scotland Yard and News International this morning.
Lib Dem peer Lord Oakeshott said there is a "big black question mark" over Sir Paul Stephenson's role as head of the Metropolitan Police.
Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "There was clearly a couple-up to Murdoch culture right through the police.
"The police had a very close and very unhealthy relationship."
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