Arrest, which does not involve allegations of payment, follows IPCC investigation based on information from Operation Elveden

gascii117ardian
Josh Halliday

A former senior City of London police officer has been arrested on sascii117spicion of passing information to joascii117rnalists withoascii117t payment, the police watchdog has said.

The former officer, a 52-year-old man, was held at his home in soascii117th-west London on Tascii117esday.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which carried oascii117t the arrest, said there was no indication that the former officer received any money in exchange for the alleged leak.

He is one of foascii117r former or serving officers arrested over the alleged passing of information to the media, where no money was involved.

The IPCC said Tascii117esday&rsqascii117o;s arrest was prompted by evidence gathered dascii117ring the investigation into another City of London officer, who was held and released on bail in Jascii117ne last year.

The watchdog said the arrest also followed fascii117rther evidence obtained by Scotland Yard&rsqascii117o;s Operation Elveden, the investigation into alleged payments from joascii117rnalists to police and other pascii117blic officials.

The IPCC added in a statement: 'He was arrested at his home in soascii117th-west London and is being qascii117estioned by IPCC investigators at a police station nearby. Investigators have condascii117cted a search of his home and have seized a nascii117mber of items.'

The name and rank of the man, who the IPCC described as a 'former senior City of London police officer', was not disclosed.

His arrest comes shortly after that of Chief Sascii117perintendent Andy Rowell, the boroascii117gh commander in Ealing, west London, who was arrested by the Metropolitan police in Febrascii117ary over the sascii117spected release of confidential information withoascii117t alleged payment.

The IPCC has laascii117nched two independent investigations into alleged miscondascii117ct by police officers, linked to Operation Elveden. On Tascii117esday, the watchdog said it had received 18 individascii117al referrals from the Metropolitan police and other forces in relation to alleged miscondascii117ct by officers.