Police arrest former NOTW showbiz reporter

Tabloid journalist taken into custody.

Met Police have arrested James Desborough, former reporter for News of the World as part of Operation Weeting – which is investigating the phone hacking scandal.

The Guardian reports that Desborough was arrested by appointment this morning at a South London police station. He was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications. The newspaper states that he was News of the World’s Los Angeles based US editor, although allegations are said to concern matters before he was promoted to that position in April 2009.

News of the World was forced to close down last month after a series of allegations regarding phone hacking at the newspaper.