Ex-army bloke, 2 other bods cuffed after News Corp tip-off

Dawn raid in Op Elveden bung probe

Three more suspects were arrested this morning by officers investigating allegations of illegal payments to police and public officials in relation to the phone hacking scandal at News International.

Scotland Yard cops are currently searching two addresses in Lancashire and Kent.

The Met said in a statement that a 36-year-old man had been arrested at his home in the southern county on suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt and conspiracy to cause misconduct in a public office.

Meanwhile the home in Lancashire was also raided by officers this morning where two other suspects in the Operation Elveden investigation were cuffed and taken to a police station for questioning.

A 42-year-old man, who is a former member of the armed forces, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. A 38-year-old woman living at the same address is currently being quizzed on suspicion of aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office.

Scotland Yard said the arrests followed information they received from NI's parent company News Corp, which is run by Rupert Murdoch.

The Met added that today's raids were linked to "suspected payments to a public official and is not about seeking journalists to reveal confidential sources in relation to information that has been obtained legitimately".

As The Register reported yesterday, UK prosecutors are considering bringing charges against 11 suspects relating to the phone-hacking scandal that has enveloped Murdoch's media empire and led to the closure of 168-year-old Sunday tabloid News of the World last summer. ®