NORTHAMPTON: Wickes is the latest retailer to suspend advertising in the News of the World. A growing number of major companies have pulled advertising from the newspaper amid rising anger over the phone-hacking scandal.
The boycott announcements came as a consumer backlash gathered pace on Twitter, with social networkers calling on readers to stop buying the paper entirely. Another campaign urged more firms to suspend advertising in the red top.
This morning new emerged that the News of the World is suspected of hacking into the voicemails of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, the family of Soham murder victims Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, and relatives of the 7/7 attack victims.
The Co-operative Group said in a statement the recent claims had been "met with revulsion by the vast majority of members".
On Twitter, media commentator Roy Greenslade wrote: "Boycott News of the World. Tell everyone – stop buying the paper." A similar sentiment was expressed on Facebook where numerous users expressed mounting public anger on the News of the World's own page.
Companies that have withdrawn advertising include Lloyds Banking Group, Virgin Holidays, Mitsubishi, The Co-Operative Group, and Aldi.
