Senior journalists at The Sun expressed a mixture of relief and anger as their three-year “ordeal” ended when they were cleared of paying public officials for scoops, including titbits on the princes William and Harry.

A senior figure at The Sun yesterday launched a forthright attack on police who arrested five Sun journalists, claiming his colleagues had been treated like “members of an organised crime gang”.

Rupert Murdoch is expected to fly to London this week after reassuring staff he would not sell The Sun in the wake of a second wave of arrests at the newspaper.

Five employees of The Sun, a serving Surrey Police officer, a serving member of the armed forces and a Ministry of Defence employee were arrested today over allegations of inappropriate payments to police and public officials.

Five employees of The Sun, a serving Surrey Police officer, a serving member of the armed forces and a Ministry of Defence employee were arrested in Britain today over allegations of inappropriate payments to police and public officials.