Heads continued to roll in the News of the World phone hacking scandal as Rupert Murdoch's top executive and Dow Jones CEO Les Hinton became the latest high-profile personality to resign from his post.

Hinton was the chief executive of Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal. 

Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of the media group's UK newspaper arm News International had quit on Friday.

In his resignation letter, Hinton apologised for the 'pain caused to innocent people' by repeated illegal intrusions by News of the World reporters and private detectives, The Telegraph reports.

Hinton headed News International from 1997 to 2007, when most of the phone hacking incidents that have come to light occurred.

"The pain caused to innocent people is unimaginable," Hinton was quoted as saying.

"That I was ignorant of what apparently happened is irrelevant and in the circumstances I feel it is proper for me to resign from News Corporation, and apologise to those hurt by the actions of the News of the World," he added.

After Hinton's resignation, Murdoch said the two had been on a 'remarkable journey together' for more than half a century.

Hinton's resignation came hours after that of Rebekah Brooks, his successor as head of News International and a former News of the World editor.