Police arrest Coulson over phone hacking

The Metropolitan Police have arrested former News of the World editor Andy Coulson in connection with phone hacking and corruption investigations.

Coulson was arrested by appointment at a south London police station at 10.30 on Friday morning, the police said in a statement.

"At 10:30 officers from the MPS' Operation Weeting together with officers from Op Elveden arrested a man on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications, contrary to Section1(1) Criminal Law Act 1977 and on suspicion of corruption allegations contrary to Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906," said the statement.

Officers from Operation Weeting are investigating alleged phone hacking at the News of the World, which is to print its last edition on Sunday. News International chairman James Murdoch announced on Thursday that the paper is to close.

"Wrongdoers turned a good newsroom bad and this was not fully understood or adequately pursued," said Murdoch. "As a result, the News of the World and News International wrongly maintained that these issues were confined to one reporter. We now have voluntarily given evidence to the police that I believe will prove that this was untrue and those who acted wrongly will have to face the consequences."

Operation Elveden is looking into alleged payments made to police officers by News of the World staff.

David Cameron announced two enquiries around the News of the World phone hacks on Friday.

"It is clear that there have been some illegal practices taking place at the News of the World and elsewhere," said Cameron.

The government will establish a full public enquiry into practices at the News of the World, and alleged payments to police officers, said Cameron. The enquiry will examine why an initial police investigation into phone interception concluded that hacking was limited in scope.

A second enquiry will examine press regulation, with a view to ending press self-regulation, said Cameron.