Phone hacking: 71-year-old arrested by Met police

A 71-year-old man has been arrested by police officers investigating phone hacking.

The man, who reports suggest is former News of the World editor Stuart Kuttner, was arrested this morning by appointment at a North London police station and is currently in custody.

He was arrested by officers from Operation Weeting, which is investigating phone hacking, and officers from Operation Elveden, which is investigating payments to corrupt police officers.

Previous high-profile arrests by the Operation Weeting and Elveden teams include Rebekah Brooks, former chief executive of News International, and Andy Coulson, who along with Brooks is a former News of the World editor and was forced to resign from his position as David Cameron's director of communications over the scandal.

Several other former News of the World staff have been arrested: ex-assistant editor Ian Edmondson, ex-chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, ex-reporter James Weatherup, and ex-royal reporter Clive Goodman.

Other journalists arrested include freelance journalist Terenia Taras and Press Association royal reporter Laura Elston.

Elston will face no further action however.

The growing scandal has seen the News of the World closed after 168 in business, and the resignation of senior News International executives and two top Met police officers.

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