London - British police investigating phone hacking at the News of the World tabloid newspaper arrested a 39-year-old woman on Thursday.
The woman was detained at a residential address in West Yorkshire in northern England on suspicion of conspiring to intercept cellphone voicemail messages and was being questioned, police said.
It is believed she is not a journalist. The owners of the News of the World, Rupert Murdoch's News International, said the woman was not one of its current employees “or a former full-time member of staff” of the tabloid.
The arrest is part of a new investigation into phone hacking allegations involving the News of the World which was launched by London's Metropolitan Police in January following a stream of fresh allegations.
The paper's former royal reporter Clive Goodman and private detective Glenn Mulcaire were jailed in 2007 for intercepting messages from members of the royal family, including Princes William and Harry.
Three News of the World journalists have been arrested since the new inquiry was launched.
In April, the newspaper admitted liability in several civil cases.
Football pundit Andy Gray this week became the latest celebrity to settle with the paper's publishers, accepting £20 000 (22 500
euros, $32 000 dollars) in damages for having his voicemail intercepted.
The News of the World's owners reached a similar agreement with the actress Sienna Miller, who received £100 000 in damages.
Other high-profile figures who suspect that their phone messages were intercepted and have launched legal action include actor Jude Law, Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs and politicians John Prescott and George Galloway. - Sapa-AFP