Hacking arrest of news group’s ex-legal adviser

The 60-year-old was held at his home in south west London on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and was being questioned at a south London police station.

He is the 25th person to be arrested under Operation Weeting, the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into allegations of phone hacking.

The investigation is being run alongside two separate probes – Operation Elveden, which is looking at alleged corrupt payments to public officials, and Operation Tuleta, which concerns accusations of computer hacking and other privacy breaches including the alleged hacking of stolen mobile phones.

So far 43 people have been arrested under Elveden and 11 under Tuleta.

Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday over charges linked to Operation Weeting.

She is accused of one general charge of conspiracy to illegally access voicemails, and two others relating to murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and former union boss Andrew Gilchrist.

Seven other people including David Cameron’s former spin doctor Andy Coulson appeared
at the same court earlier this month to face phone hacking charges.

The group included six members of staff from the now-defunct tabloid the News of the World, who all face the general charge alongside Brooks, as well as specific counts linked to individual people.

Former News of the World editor Coulson is accused, along with 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 has also been charged.