The former News of the World US editor was today told he faces no further action in Scotland Yard's phone-hacking probe.

James Desborough was held in August last year on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications for the now defunct Sunday tabloid.

A Scotland Yard statement said a 39-year-old man "was today released from bail with no further action".

Mr Desborough is the third Operation Weeting suspect to be told he will not be charged since the wide-ranging investigation was launched in January last year.

There have been 46 arrests surrounding inquiries into hacking and corruption under the three-pronged operation,
Weeting, Elveden and Tuleta.

Mr Desborough, who won a British Press Award in 2009, was arrested on August 18 by appointment at a south London police station.

He joined the paper as a showbusiness and news reporter in 2005 before being promoted to US editor in 2009.