LONDON, 12 FEBRUARY, 2012: British police have arrested eight people, including five staff members at The Sun newspaper, as part of an investigation into the alleged payment of bribes by journalists to police and other officials, Xinhua news agency reported.  

Those arrested included five editors and reporters at the Sun, Britain's largest-circulation daily newspaper. Also arrested were a police officer, a defence ministry employee, and a member of the armed forces, London's Metropolitan Police said Saturday.

Police said all the eight were later released on bail.

Police also said they searched the homes of those arrested and the offices of News International, The Sun's parent organisation, and the UK publishing division of News Corp, owned by Rupert Murdoch.

Four current and former journalists at the Sun, which is owned by Murdoch, and a police officer were arrested in January as part of the same police inquiry.

The Leveson Inquiry, set up last July following a phone hacking scandal at News Corp's 168-year-old News of The World newspaper, was to examine the morals, practices, and governance of the British media, and in particular the print media.

When the scandal broke, a wave of public revulsion forced Murdoch to close the paper.

News International chief executive Tom Mockridge issued a memo on Saturday to Sun staff that said the newspaper would not shut down.

"I have had a personal assurance today from Rupert Murdoch about his total commitment to continuing to own and publish The Sun newspaper," Mockridge said.

 

- Bernama