Journalist held in voicemail hacking probe

Scotland Yard said the reporter was arrested by appointment when she attended a central London police station at about 3pm yesterday on suspicion of intercepting communications, contrary to Section 1 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000.

She was being held for questioning by detectives assigned to Operation Weeting, a new investigation into phone hacking launched earlier this year.

Scotland Yard said it would be inappropriate to give any further details.

The Press Association confirmed that one of its journalists had been arrested.

Another former freelance journalist was arrested last week in West Yorkshire.

Operation Weeting was launched by the Metropolitan Police in January following new allegations about phone hacking involving the News of the World.

The paper’s former royal reporter Clive Goodman and private detective Glenn Mulcaire were jailed in 2007 for intercepting messages from members of the royal household.