National News

Policeman arrested in hacking probe

© Press Association 2011

10:11am Saturday 28th January 2012

A serving police officer and three men have been arrested over payments to police officers in the phone hacking inquiry.

The 29-year-old male officer was arrested at a police station in central London where he works and three men, aged between 48 and 56, were detained after police swooped on their homes, Scotland Yard confirmed.

The suspects were arrested under Operation Elveden - which runs alongside the Operation Weeting hacking inquiry.

Officers are searching the offices of News International in Wapping, east London, and the home addresses of the suspects, a spokesman said.

The officer, who serves with the MPS Territorial Policing command, is being questioned at a south London police station.

He was arrested on suspicion of corruption, misconduct in a public office and conspiracy in relation to the offences.

The three other men, a 48-year-old from Essex, a 56-year-old from Essex, and a 48-year-old from north London, were all arrested at their homes.

They are being questioned at police stations in London and Essex on suspicion of corruption, aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office and conspiracy in relation to the offences.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Today's operation is the result of information provided to police by News Corporation's management and standards committee.

"It relates to suspected payments to police officers and is not about seeking journalists to reveal confidential sources in relation to information that has been obtained legitimately."

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