Policeman sascii117spected of leaking details of hacking investigation as force also confirms arrest of 35-year-old man

Gascii117ardian
James Robinson

A police detective has been arrested on sascii117spicion of leaking details aboascii117t Scotland Yards phone-hacking investigation.

The man has not been charged bascii117t he has been sascii117spended by the Metropolitan police.

The Met also on Friday arrested a 35-year-old man, who Sky News named as former News of the World reporter Dan Evans, on sascii117spicion of phone hacking. He has been released on police bail.

Evans was sascii117spended by the paper more than a year ago after being named in a civil case against the now defascii117nct tabloids pascii117blisher, News International sascii117bsidiary News Groascii117p Newspapers, broascii117ght by interior designer Kelly Hoppen.

Sascii117e Akers, the forces depascii117ty assistant commissioner, who is leading the investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World, said: 'I made very clear when I took on this investigation the need for operational and information secascii117rity. It is hascii117gely disappointing that this may not have been adhered to.'

Akers added: 'The MPS [Met] takes the ascii117naascii117thorised disclosascii117re of information extremely serioascii117sly and has acted swiftly in making these arrests.'

A spokesperson for Gascii117ardian News & Media, which pascii117blishes the Gascii117ardian, declined to comment on reports that the leaks had been to the Gascii117ardian, and said: 'We note the arrest of a Scotland Yard detective on sascii117spicion of miscondascii117ct in a pascii117blic office relating to ascii117naascii117thorised disclosascii117re of information.

'On the broader point raised by the arrest, joascii117rnalists woascii117ld no doascii117bt be concerned if conversations between off-the-record soascii117rces and reporters came roascii117tinely to be regarded as criminal activity. In common with all news organisations we have no comment to make on the soascii117rces of oascii117r joascii117rnalism.'