Neville Thurlbeck released on bail after Weeting arrest

Former News of the World chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck has been released on police bail following his arrest yesterday afternoon as part of Operation Weeting, the Metropolitan police investigation into phone hacking.

Thurlbeck was arrested by appointment at a central London police station on suspicion of intimidation of a witness and encouraging or assisting an offence. He was later released on bail until April, pending further enquiries.

Writing on his blog last night, Thurlbeck said: "Clearly, my blog was the cause of today's police activity. One minute I was sitting penning a new post. The next, I was in the police station, having DNA mouth swabs and my fingerprints and police mugshot taken.

"A compaint had been made and acted upon very swiftly indeed. It really didn't feel like England today."

He added: "I vigorously deny the allegations of any wrongdoing, which seem extremely far-fetched to me and I will continue with my blog and my work regardless of today's events. I will be issuing no further statement on this matter in the immediate future."

Thurlbeck was first arrested as part of Operation Weeting last April, on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and unlawful interception of voicemail messages. He is bailed to return to a south-west London police station in May in relation to this earlier arrest.

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