Bob and Sally Dowler with daughter Gemma after Levi Bellfield was found guilty of Milly Dowler's murder
Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PAThe Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating an allegation that a Surrey police officer gave information related to the Milly Dowler murder investigation to the News of the World.
According to a statement from the IPCC, it received a voluntary referral from Surrey Police with the related information.
The IPCC confirmed a decision has been made that it will take on an independent investigation of the allegations.
"An IPCC deputy senior investigator has been over at Surrey Police this morning to get more information about the case and will be writing to the Dowlers' solicitor at the family's request," the statement added.
"Until we have shared further detail with him it would not be appropriate for us to make it public."
Dowler family lawyer Mark Lewis told Journalism.co.uk that the family "welcome the investigation".
Milly Dowler's parents are suing the now-closed News International title over claims her voicemail was hacked into while she was missing in March 2002.
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