TWO POLICE OFFICERS and a journalist was arrested by police in the UK this morning investigating allegations of inappropriate payments to police and public officials.

The three were arrested at their separate home addresses at approximately 6.00am in connection with a number of suspected offences between 2004 and 2011.

A 39-year-old journalist was arrested in Hertfordshire and is being interviewed at a police station in north London.

A 47-year-old serving police officer in the MPS Specialist Operations command, was arrested in Surrey and is being interviewed at a Surrey police station.

A 30-year-old serving police officer in the MPS Specialist Crime and Operations command was arrested in Surrey and is being interviewed at a south London police station.

A number of searches are being carried out.

Today’s arrests are the result of information provided to police by News Corporation’s Management and Standards Committee. They relate to suspected payments to police officers and are not about seeking journalists to reveal confidential sources in relation to information that has been obtained legitimately