Hacking scandal: Man held in police corruption probe

Police in Britain investigating allegations of illegal payments to officers by journalists arrested a 48-year-old man today.

The man, believed to be a journalist, was arrested at about 10.30am at an address outside London in connection with allegations of corruption and was taken to a south west London police station.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “He is not a police officer.”

The arrest is the sixth to be made in connection with Operation Elveden, the probe into allegations that News International journalists made “inappropriate” payments to police.

The investigation was launched in the summer after it emerged that the newspaper publisher had handed Scotland Yard documents indicating such payments were made.

Sir Paul Stephenson, then Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said in July that evidence handed over by the company suggested a small number of officers were involved.

The inquiry was launched as police also investigated allegations of hacking by journalists at the News of the World.