Former Met officer from unit that protects Royal Family arrested over illegal payments to police
- The 57-year-old was arrested in a dawn raid on his home in Surrey
- He worked for Specialist Operations Command, responsible for protecting MPs, Royals and combating terror
- He is 27th to be arrested by detectives working for Operation Elveden
A former specialist police officer who worked for Scotland Yard's division in charge of protecting the Royal Family was arrested today by detectives probing corrupt payments to public officials.
Police from Operation Elveden, which runs alongside the force's Weeting investigation into phone hacking, swooped on the 57-year-old man's home in Surrey at dawn this morning.
The retired officer worked as part of the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Operations command, which has a host of security duties from providing armed protection for MPs and the Royal Family to counter-terrorism intelligence gathering.
Dawn raid: Police from Operation Elveden, which runs alongside the force's Operation Weeting investigation into phone hacking, swooped on the 57-year-old man's home in Surrey at 6.30 this morning
While officers searched his home, he was taken for questioning on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.
His is the 27th arrest by detectives working under Operation Elveden, the investigation into illegal payments made by journalists to public figures.
A force statement said: 'The 57-year-old man was arrested at his home address.
'He previously served in the MPS Specialist Operations command, based in central London, and retired several years ago.
Payments: Giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry in January, The Sun's Royal Editor Duncan Larcombe acknowledged it was 'no secret' that his paper offers members of the public payments in return for tip-offs. He was arrested two weeks ago
The force added that the arrest 'is not about seeking journalists to reveal confidential sources in relation to information that has been obtained legitimately'.
The arrest comes a fortnight after The Sun's royal editor, Duncan Larcombe, was arrested along with a 42-year-old former member of the Armed Forces and a 38-year-old woman as part of the same inquiry.
Arrested: Last month, The Sun's defence editor Virginia Wheeler, 32, was held on suspicion of illegal payments to police
Power: Mr Yates has expressed 'extreme regret' for ruling out reopening the hacking investigation at News International in 2009
Last month, The Sun's defence editor Virginia Wheeler, 32, was held on suspicion of illegal payments to police.
The Sun’s deputy editor Geoff Webster, picture editor John Edwards, chief reporter John Kay, chief foreign correspondent Nick Parker, and news editor John Sturgis were arrested in February.
And the previous month former managing editor Graham Dudman, 48, now a training director at News International; executive editor Fergus Shanahan, 56, a former deputy editor of the paper under Rebekah Brooks; long-serving crime editor Mike Sullivan, 48; and head of news Chris Pharo, 42 were also detained and later bailed.
Major operation: Head of news Chris Pharo, left, and crime editor Mike Sullivan, right, were also arrested on January 28
Held: Chief foreign correspondent Nick Parker (left) and chief reporter John Kay (right) are two of the Sun journalists arrested
Arrested: Sun reporter John Sturgis (left) and the paper's picture editor John Edwards (right) have also been questioned by police
It is carrying out internal investigations relating to Rupert Murdoch's remaining UK papers - The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times - and is working closely with the detectives investigating alleged phone hacking and corrupt payments.
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed last month that it has received the first set of files from police relating to the inquiries.
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