The mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne has been told she may be a victim of the News of the World hacking scandal.

The Guardian newspaper has reported that Sara Payne, from Hersham, may have been targeted by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, who was paid by the now defunct newspaper.

Police have allegedly found evidence in his notes that relate to a phone Rebekah Brooks gave to Mrs Payne as a gift, to help with the Sarah’s Law campaign.

The News of the World worked closely with Mrs Payne after Sarah, eight, was abducted by paedophile Roy Whiting in 2000.

In a statement released during the phone hacking scandal, when the paper announced its closure, she said: “It feels like a friend had just died, I'm so shocked, all of those decent, hardworking, uninvolved people out of a job - just like that.”

Then in a column written in the paper’s last edition on July 10, she referred to its staff as her “good and trusted friends”.

Friends have told the Guardian she is “absolutely devastated”, but she said her support remained for those who helped her at the newspaper, which championed the Sarah’s Law campaign.

Mrs Payne, 42, said: “Notwithstanding the bad apples involved here, my faith remains solidly behind all the good people who have supported me over the last 11 years. I will never lose my faith in them.

“My way would be to challenge the bad apples head on, learn from the facts of the matter and be proactive part of stopping this from happening again.”

Mrs Brooks, who resigned as News International’s chief executive on July 15, said in a statement: “These allegations are abhorrent and particularly upsetting as Sara Payne is a dear friend.”

She continued: “The idea that anyone on the newspaper knew that Sara or the campaign team were targeted by Mr Mulcaire is unthinkable.

“The idea of her being targeted is beyond my comprehension. It is imperative for Sara and the other victims of crime that these allegations are investigated and those culpable brought to justice.”

The news came just weeks after it was alleged Walton schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s phone messages were listened to and deleted on behalf of the Sunday national.

Police are investigating all the hacking allegations, under Operation Weeting.

A 71-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of phone hacking and corruption on Tuesday morning – the 11th person to be arrested since Scotland Yard reopened the investigation.