Europe

Europe

New arrest in UK phone hacking scandal

28 June 2011 00:20 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Britain’s Press Association news agency said Monday one of its reporters was arrested by detectives investigating a widening phone hacking scandal, APA reports quoting news.yahoo.com website.

Scotland Yard said that detectives questioned the 34-year-old on suspicion of intercepting private communications, after she turned herself in at a central London police station. She was released on bail hours later.

Press Association identified the journalist as royal reporter Laura Elston, but did not provide any more details.

Dozens of celebrities and public figures in Britain have claimed their phones were hacked by reporters, but so far the scandal has only involved the Rupert Murdoch-owned The News of the World tabloid newspaper.

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

Three of the paper’s journalists have been arrested and questioned since police reopened a probe into its practices, but no new charges have been brought.

The paper’s owners have apologized, admitted wrongdoing and reached cash settlements with some of the victims, including actress Sienna Miller.