Two held in hacking investigation

Detectives investigating alleged hacking of stolen mobile phones and corrupt payments to public officials made two arrests today.

A prison officer was held at his home in Northampton this morning on suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt and misconduct in a public office.

He is the 44th person to be arrested as part of Operation Elveden, the investigation into alleged bribes.

The arrest was a result of information passed to police by News Corporation's management standards committee, Scotland Yard said.

Another man, aged 28, was arrested under Operation Tuleta, which is looking at computer hacking, the alleged illegal accessing of stolen mobile phones and other privacy breaches.

He attended a south London police station by appointment this afternoon and was arrested on suspicion of offences under the Theft Act, then bailed until December 9.

Operations Elveden and Tuleta are being run alongside Operation Weeting, the inquiry into phone hacking.

So far 25 people have been arrested under Weeting and eight people charged, and 13 detained under Tuleta.

David Cameron's former spin doctor Andy Coulson and former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks are among the eight charged under Operation Weeting.

They are due to appear at the Old Bailey on September 26, along with five other former News of the World journalists - ex-managing editor Stuart Kuttner, former news editor Greg Miskiw, former head of news Ian Edmondson, ex-chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck and former reporter James Weatherup.

Private investigator Glenn Mulcaire will also appear.

Brooks, her husband Charlie and four other people have also been charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice over allegations that they removed boxes of material from the News International archive and tried to conceal documents, computers and other material from police.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said she could not comment on individual cases.

She said: "The Prison Service is committed to dealing robustly with all forms of corruption, including the unauthorised disclosure of sensitive information for financial gain. Such activity is a fundamental breach of the Civil Service Code and may constitute the criminal offence of misconduct in public office.

"We are fully supportive of Operation Elveden currently investigating the potential misconduct of public officials involved in selling information to the press. If any prison staff are identified, we will work with the police to facilitate investigations and prosecutions.

"The vast majority of staff are honest and law-abiding but we are determined to deal with those who are not."

PA