Six former News of the World journalists arrested in hacking inquiry

News International closed the News of the World in July 2011 (AP)

Six current and former journalists, including two staff members at The Sun, have been arrested under a fresh police investigation into phone hacking.

Scotland Yard said detectives are looking into a suspected conspiracy that took place between around 2005 and 2006.

The three men and three women arrested all previously worked for the News of the World and are being interviewed at police stations in London and Cheshire.

The arrests were made by detectives investigating “a further suspected conspiracy to intercept telephone voicemails by a number of employees who worked for the now defunct News of the World newspaper”, Scotland Yard said.

The arrests were made as part of a new line of inquiry that is separate from allegations under the existing Scotland Yard investigation into phone hacking called Operation Weeting.

None of those arrested have been arrested before.

Two men aged 45 and 46 were held in Wandsworth, south London, and a 39-year-old man was arrested in Greenwich, south east London.

The three women arrested were a 39-year-old who was detained in Cheshire, a 33-year-old in Islington, north London, and a 40-year-old in Lambeth, south London.

Detectives plan to speak to people they believe have been victims of the suspected phone hacking.

They had not previously been contacted by police, who confirmed that the cases formed “part of the new lines of inquiry”.

Mike Darcey, the chief executive of News International, confirmed that two of those arrested were staff members at The Sun and said he shared “concerns” about their treatment. The pair have been provided with lawyers.

Yesterday a 50-year-old serving officer was arrested under Operation Elveden, the investigation into alleged corrupt payments to public officials.

Scotland Yard confirmed that he was the 100th person to be held by officers working on either Operation Elveden, Weeting, relating to phone hacking, or Tuleta, an investigation into computer hacking.