Thaindian News

London, Apr 6 (ANI): Chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck, and former assistant editor Ian Edmondson of at News of World have been arrested over phone hacking as Sienna Miller won a High Court bid to view phone records.

Edmondson, who was recently sacked over the issue, and Thurlbeck were arrested after voluntarily presenting themselves at different police stations in southwest London.

The arrests came as Miller, the actress, won a High Court order for access to the mobile phone records of third parties that may assist her claim for damages.

Scotland Yard had stepped up its investigation into widespread claims of illegal newsgathering by the Sunday based newspaper.

Forty-two-year-old Edmondson was sacked in January after emails were discovered that allegedly suggested that he was aware of the hacking. Earlier, the News of the World had been insisting that the hacking of mobile phones was the act of a single rogue reporter without editorial approval.

Transcripts of voicemail messages obtained by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were said to have been sent via email under the heading “This is the transcript for Neville”, a possible reference to Thurlbeck, the paper said.

The duo were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and unlawfully intercepting voicemail messages, but were later released on police bail until September. Both of them have, however, denied of doing any illegal act.

Clive Goodman, the newspaper’s former royal correspondent and Mulcaire were both jailed in 2007 for conspiring to access phone messages involving Prince William and Prince Harry. The names and contact details of up to 3,000 public figures, including actors and politicians, were found in notes kept by Mulcaire. (ANI)