Another NOTW journalist is arrested

OPERATION WEETING, the London Metropolitan Police unit set up to investigate the phone hacking scandals at Rupert Murdoch's Sunday tabloid News of the World (NOTW), has claimed another scalp, journalist James Weatherup.

The BBC was first to name the arrestee, and an official release from Scotland Yard falls short on that detail.

"Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service's Operation Weeting team have today, Thursday 14 April, arrested a man on suspicion of unlawfully intercepting mobile phone voicemail messages," it said.

"He remains in custody for questioning after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to unlawfully intercept communications... The Operation Weeting team is conducting the new investigation into phone hacking. It would be inappropriate to discuss any further details regarding this case at this time."

Last week the News of the World apologised for its actions in the past and set up a fund for aggrieved parties.

"Past behaviour at the News of the World in relation to voicemail interception is a matter of genuine regret. It is now apparent that our previous inquiries failed to uncover important evidence and we acknowledge our actions then were not sufficiently robust," it said.

"We continue to co-operate fully with the Metropolitan Police. It was our discovery and voluntary disclosure of this evidence in January that led to the re-opening of the police investigation."

Initially it was thought that the NOTW's compensation fund would serve only about eight people, but then some more stepped forward including Steve Coogan, who plays Norwich DJ Alan Partridge, and a lawyer suggested that some 7,000 people might be victims of NOTW eavesdropping.

Another lawyer, Rod Dadak of Lewis Silkin, said that the case was Rupert Murdoch's Watergate. It could also prove to be his Waterloo. µ