Journalists held in probe

Two journalists arrested by police investigating corrupt payments to public officials have been released on bail. Justin Penrose, crime correspondent of the Sunday Mirror and Tom Savage, deputy news editor of the Daily Star Sunday will return to police stations in Kent and London in October.

A 34-year-old man arrested this morning in relation to Operation Elveden, the investigation into alleged corrupt payments to public officials, has been bailed.

A 37-year-old man also arrested today remains in custody.

Two journalists have been arrested by police investigating corrupt payments to public officials. They are:

• Justin Penrose, crime correspondent of the Sunday Mirror
• Tom Savage, deputy news editor of the Daily Star Sunday

Scotland Yard said: "Today's arrests relate to suspected payments to a public official and are not about seeking journalists to reveal confidential sources in relation to information that has been obtained legitimately."

The latest arrests mean 41 people have been arrested by detectives on Operation Elveden, the investigation into suspected corrupt payments to public officials.

The operation is being run alongside Operation Weeting, the Scotland Yard probe into phone-hacking.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan police has given this statement concerning the arrest of two journalists this morning:

Scotland Yard has said a 37-year man was detained at his home in Kent and a 34-year-old man held at his home in South-East London as part of an investigation into corrupt payments to public officials.

They are being questioned at separate police stations on suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt and of conspiracy to cause misconduct in a public office, police said.