Police have arrested a former News of the World journalist in connection with the phone-hacking scandal investigation. Photograph: Richard Saker
A 30-year-old man who has been arrested by police investigating the phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World is believed to be Ross Hall, a former journalist at the paper who now works for a financial PR firm.
Hall, who worked under the name Ross Hindley until September 2006, is believed to be the man who transcribed the "for Neville" email that was sent to private investigator Glenn Mulcaire. It has become a pivotal piece of evidence in the phone-hacking affair.
That email contained a transcript of messages left on a mobile phone belonging to Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association. The "Neville" referred to in the email is believed to be Neville Thurlbeck, the paper's chief reporter.
There is a dispute among senior executives at News International, which owned the paper until it was closed in July, over who knew about the "Neville" email.
The paper's former editor Colin Myler and its lawyer Tom Crone insist they told News International chairman James Murdoch about the existence of the email in 2008, before the company decided to settle a legal action which Taylor had brought against the paper. But Murdoch denies that he knew about the email.
Taylor received an out-of-court settlement of £700,000, and agreed not to discuss the case.
Hall is the nephew of Phil Hall, who edited the News of the World from 1995 to 2000 and is now a PR consultant.
