Former Surrey police officer held in payments probe

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A former Surrey police officer has been arrested in connection with the investigation into alleged payments to public officials.

The 41-year-old man was arrested at 6am this morning at his home in Sussex on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, Scotland Yard said.

The former officer, who is being interviewed at a Sussex police station, was arrested by officers from Operation Elveden - Scotland Yard's investigation into alleged corrupt payments to public officials.

The arrest is the 62nd under Operation Elveden, which is being supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and is running in conjunction with Operation Weeting, Scotland Yard's inquiry into phone-hacking.

Of those arrested so far, 13 people, including four former police officers, seven journalists and two other public officials, have or will face court action.

Last week Sun executive editor Fergus Shanahan, 58, from Dunmow in Essex, was charged with conspiring with a public official and a journalist to commit misconduct in a public office after allegedly authorising a journalist to make payments to a public official.

He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 8 May.

PA